


Winter's Wish

by Minxkat



Series: The Fleeting Seasons [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Angst, Aphrodisiacs, Beating, Canes, Corporal Punishment, Double Anal Penetration, Dubious Consent, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Familial Abuse, Femdom, Feminization, Figging, Fingerfucking, Food Kink, Groping, Group Sex, Heavy Angst, Humiliation, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Masturbation, Medical Examination, Nipple Play, Non-Consensual Spanking, Object Insertion, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgy, Pegging, Photography, Prostitution, Public Claiming, Public Humiliation, Public Nudity, Public Punishment, Public Sex, Riding Crops, Ritual Public Sex, Ritual Sex, Rough Sex, Shaving, Size Kink, Slash, Sounding, Vibrators, Wall Sex, Whump, Woobie, anal examination, sandpaper, tuning forks, urethral insertion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-10 15:19:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 47,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minxkat/pseuds/Minxkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young man struggles to cope with a neglectful family and unrequited love, while in the backdrop political and military turbulence simmers between countries.</p><p>Laes is offered a chance at a relationship he's always craved. Will it succeed? </p><p>Note: Please do heed the warning tags. Laes is in a relationship where a lot of kinks will be explored. This fic will also contains loads of main character angst, and situations that involve dubious or no consent</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue

***

Eldrich looked out at the beautiful gardens spread below Verne’s window. A light mist hung over it, masking the sun into a pale yellow ball in the sky. Winter was here.

“I have an idea who the spy may be,” he said.

“Well?” Cavil asked after a long pause.

“I don’t have evidence, just circumstances that point towards it. But I’m collecting the evidence.”

“I think the information exchanges happen in a tavern, every few weeks.”

“Is it someone you know?” Verne asked quietly, “You look troubled.”

“No, no. it doesn’t trouble me. I realised I don’t really know him. Them.” He swirled the dregs of his winecup moodily, “But I plan to get to know him better.”

“Whatever are you saying?” Verne asked him curiously, “What are you upto?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” Eldrich said quietly, “I’ve sent people to the border posts near the areas Helye suggested. We may get some information.”

***

Chapter 1

 

Laes sighed happily as he rose from is bed in the morning. He felt sore, but he felt good. Eldrich had fucked him hard and well the previous night, as he had for the last few days. He still couldn’t believe his fortunes. Eldrich desired him! They used Eldrich’s city apartment as he’d suggested, almost every night after supping at their respective houses.

Laes had never felt happier. He even found himself singing tunelessly in the mornings as he readied for his duties, the thought of the evenings ahead giving him immense joy. Even Tiaana’s constant punishments didn’t dampen his mood. She and Anders guessed he had a lover since he was now often away after dinner, but they could do little but bait him on it.

Laes wanted nothing more than to be in Eldrich’s control. With Eldrich, he was ashamed to note, he secretly desired to be dominated by the older man completely. He thought back to their evening with a mix of pleasure and the merest hint of shame.

***  
Later that week, Laes planned a visit to The Nest one evening, since Eldrich had to leave early for a meeting in the palace. He hadn’t been to the tavern in a while, not since before he’d gone to visit Helye. He shuddered as he thought of that. It had happened merely days ago, and yet after he’d met Eldrich, all the events of his past seemed a distant memory.

“The Nest, is it? I could join you,” Eldrich had said the previous day as he’d pulled on his clothes.

“I thought you didn’t want to be seen in public with me,” Laes said, a little sharply, “There’s nowhere more public than that.”

“You seem to not want me there,” Eldrich said smoothly, “Do you have an admirer or two there?”

“I told you I go for the Fernian wine.”

“Which you now get in every tavern in town, all the time!”

“For double the price, and stale stock! This is fresh and they sell it as it’s priced. Very well, do come.” Laes was not very enthusiastic as he said that. The Nest was shabby and most unlike the places Eldrich frequented. And Laes had had more than his fair share of encounters there. He didn’t want any embarrassing titbits to reach Eldrich’s ears!

Eldrich grimaced.

“I have a meeting with Verne. I will leave you to your solo adventure.”

***

That evening, when Laes entered, Eldrich shrugged off his outer robe. Underneath he wore a fine formal tunic and leggings, tailored perfectly in proportion with his figure. He propped himself against the large table, his arms crossed, legs apart. His posture showed off his body well. Laes thought he looked magnificent as usual, the strong claves and thighs, flat stomach, broad chest, encased in rich burgundy coloured fabric. 

Eldrich then undid his tunic. He wore a vest underneath, the thin cloth stretched over his broad chest, hardened nipples standing out. The short vest also revealed his crotch and Laes was gladdened to notice that Eldrich seemed to be aroused. He let out a soft moan at the sight.

“Take your clothes off,” Eldrich ordered.

Laes removed his tunic, his fingers fumbling with the buttons. Eldrich watched him, smirking at his awkward movements. He picked up a small paper knife and began sharpening one of the quills on the table. Laes wondered why he still insisted on using one, when there were perfectly fine pens available. Eldrich began writing on a sheet of paper, his glance constantly moving from paper to Laes.

“What are you writing?” Laes asked curiously, as he removed his boots and socks.

“I’m going through the new troop assignments at the border. Cavil just shared the season’s list with me.”

“Oh!” Laes shrugged.

“Aren’t you supposed to be removing your clothes completely?” Eldrich said.

Laes lifted his vest over his head, getting it caught in the neck, blushing as he spent a few moments struggling. The vest finally came off. He undid his trousers and stepped out of them.

“Go on, Lissie,” Eldrich’s tone had the old slow, mocking drawl that Laes had almost forgotten.

His underwear was old, greying and fraying at the edges, he realised a little embarrassed, as he stepped out of them. His hardening cock sprang loose.

Eldrich did not remove his own clothes. He just undid his trousers, lowered his underpants and fucked Laes over his table. Just where he’d been writing. After they were done, Laes lay there moaning in happy pleasure. Eldrich dipped his quill in ink and wrote something with a flourish on Laes’ skin.

“What are you writing?” Laes squirmed as the quill tickled the soft skin of his buttocks. 

“Mine. That you’re mine.”

Laes let out a soft cry of pleasure at that.

“So anyone who sees your pretty little arse tonight will know you’re mine,” Eldrich stroked the soft mounds, “That way when you go the Nest tonight your arse will remain untouched.”

“Ugh!” Laes pouted, “I do not give my arse up to just about anyone!”

Eldrich snorted, almost in disbelief.

Laes tried not to feel hurt and decided to opt for playfulness instead, “You could join me and prove I’m yours in act.”

“Perhaps some other time,” Eldrich smirked, “Well, I must ready myself for my meeting with Verne now.”

While Eldrich was in the bathing chamber, Laes looked at the sheet he’d been writing on curiously, as he dressed. It had been a while since he’d had a border posting, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to go away now, when everything was going so well! He finished dressing and then read through the list, the details of the number of men each unit from each regiments were mentioned but not the names. He looked through the unit numbers curiously, and finally found his own, scheduled for the spring. That was a while away, he thought in relief, and even then, he may not be sent. Or perhaps if Eldrich had an assignment out of Varland, he could go and finish it off, and come back in time for his return, he thought desultorily. And then decided he was planning ahead for no reason. He glanced up to see Eldrich standing at the doorway, staring at him curiously. He smiled sheepishly as he straightened.

***

That evening at The Nest, Laes had two glasses, the second one of the much stronger gooseberry wine, even though it was an extravagance. It was just that he felt so happy. He sat back in the front drinking area watching people slip away to the partitioned areas. Once upon a time, he may have joined them. But not now. He had someone to return to, he thought to himself cheerfully, smiling as he sipped from his glass. The second drink was making him a little tizzy, but he liked the little buzz that went through his head.

A handsome young man came and sat his table with him, while Laes slowly savoured the second glass. He sounded Marsinian by accent. They smiled at each other, and Laes returned to his drink, thinking of what he and Eldrich might do the next evening. He wished Eldrich were here with him. From the nearest partitioned area, he could hear soft grunts and keening wails of pleasure, that aroused him. He palmed his cock discreetly, and wished it were Eldrich’s hand there.

As he was leaving, the handsome stranger too left. Laes was just crossing the stables next door, when the young man walked up to him, and brazenly cupped his buttocks.

Laes yelped. His head was still pleasantly buzzing from the wine, and before he could realise it, the lad had pulled him into the alleyway behind.

“I saw you were interested,” he breathed out softly, and slid a hand into Laes trouser.

“N-no!” Laes said in shock, and batted the hand away.

“Do you normally touch yourself like that then?” The lad grinned.

“I was thinking of my lover,” Laes said indignantly.

“Lucky he!” the young man said, “You have a fine arse! I was looking forward to exploring it! I hoped I could traverse its ridges and plumb its depths.”

Laes blushed, and then gasped.

“That line is from The Prince and the Servant!” he said.

The man laughed and held his hands up as though in surrender, “It was poking out of your satchel. I assumed you must be an admirer too!”

“Oh I am! I just finished this volume!”

Laes couldn’t quite believe he was standing in that alleyway, still a little aroused by the thought of Eldrich, talking to a stranger about a book! They spoke briefly and laughingly about their favourite scenes, but Laes was a little annoyed that the other man called the footman hero a tad spineless and rather a damsel. He preferred the highhanded prince who spoke lewd lines about ridges and depths instead. 

“He’s so confident and dashing!” the Marsinian exclaimed, he was a trader of art materials and had just brought in a fresh consignment of parchment to Varanya, “Well, it has been nice talking to you but I must leave now. I notice a rather charming redhead enter when I left and he didn’t seem to be lost in thoughts of a lover!” he smiled broadly and hugged Laes, and then walked off towards the tavern doors. Laes suddenly realised he didn’t even know his name but shrugged. 

“Can’t he read what’s written on your arse?” Eldrich stepped out of the shadows suddenly and Laes nearly jumped in fright.

“What are you doing here?” he cried out.

“I came to prove you’re mine in act,” Eldrich said, “I see it is needed all the more.”

“We were just talking!” Laes said, “Believe me, please?” he felt worried. Eldrich had a very low opinion of his past affairs and behaviour.

“I know you were not fucking, it is evident,” Eldrich said, pulling Laes into his arms, “That was quite a long talk you had. I saw you leaving the tavern and thought of joining you but I didn’t realise this alleyway existed. What were you talking of?”

“A book,” Laes said, and then felt embarrassed to admit he read what Eldrich called ‘rubbish’.

“A book? One of your pointless romances?” Eldrich stroked Laes’ crotch through his trousers.

Laes nodded blushing and then changed the topic in the only way he knew. “Well would you like to show now that I’m yours? I kept thinking of your hands on me.” His cock had already sprung up at the merest brush of Eldrich’s fingers.

“I would like to do so in every way possible,” Eldrich declared, and slid his fingers into Laes’ trousers. It took merely a few quick strokes for Laes to spill into his hands, a large wet spot clearly evident in his clothes.

He swept a surprised and rather embarrassed Laes into the tavern, his wet front eliciting knowing smirks and smiles. They went right into a private dining area where he fucked him into the table, while he cried out lustily in encouragement. And then an upstairs room where they fucked on the bed, and then finally in the alleyway where Eldrich pinned Laes to the wall and took him yet again. By the time they were done, Laes was sore but overjoyed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laes and Eldrich's experiences with each other continue and grow. Tiaana's plans also contributes.
> 
> Warnings in this chapter for slash, fingerfucking, masturbation, use of soap, forced nudity, medical examination, tuning forks, and generally, some angst

Laes soon settled into a routine in his post as second guardsman and in his new occupation as Eldrich’s lover. It meant he was away from home longer hours and he welcomed that. Tiaana continued to find new reasons to pull him up, Anders continued to needle him and Cavil oscillated between ignoring him and shouting at him for all the complaints that he received from Tiaana from Anders. Terel had strictly told them not to bother him about Laes, so now they poured out their woes to Cavil instead. 

Laes had also begun to spend more time with his fellow guardsmen and women. Now that he earned a little more, he could manage to join them in their weekly jaunts at the small taverns that dotted the military area. He usually had a single drink but spent a few hours with them, listening to them. They were often joined by the men from other units or regiments as well. Like Laes, the other men too had their issues about their officers but they didn’t seem as bitter as Laes sometimes felt.

***

Laes sighed pleasurably and flopped back onto the settee. His sore arse came into the contact with the rough fabric but he ignored the discomfort. He stared down at his pale frame, marked in places with pinkish purple bruises.

He revelled in the thought of the day. He had actually managed to pleasure Eldrich thrice in three different locations, all in a single day! In the morning, he had met Eldrich in his suite at the palace just before he had reported in for guard duty. Eldrich had just woken and was still in his dressing gown, and evidently bare naked under it. In the brief quarter hour that they had, he had slipped down to his knees, undone Eldrich’s silken robe and taken his cock in his mouth. He had worked his tongue and fingers on it until it had hardened completely and then he had taken it in his mouth, letting it completely inside, his nose buried in the soft, golden curls at Eldrich’s crotch. 

“Aaannnhhh...,” Eldrich had moaned and grabbed his head and pulled him closer, his cock swelling in his mouth and hitting the back of his throat. Laes had willingly taken him in, his heart thrumming happily as he listened to the lust-filled sounds Eldrich made.

And then later in the afternoon, when Laes had finished with his palace duty and was to return to barracks for afternoon lectures, Eldrich had pulled him into his study and fucked him against the wall, sliding his large, hard cock into Laes’ spit slicked entrance, and pounding into him until he’d come, the warm juices of his release filling Laes and trickling down his legs, almost soiling his lowered trousers. Laes had been sore but delighted, even though it meant he had difficulty sitting still in his classes and had actually been reprimanded by the instructor as though he were but a plain guardsman. But he’d taken the scolding quietly, remembering that the ache had been caused by his newly acquired lover.

And now he had as per his usual practise come to Eldrich’ apartment in the city, after dinner, to lie with the older man. Eldrich had just taken him over a heavy decorative table one large hand holding down his shoulders, while the other grabbed his waist and brought his arse closer. The carved edges had pinched his belly and upper thighs and his cock as well, leaving small marks all over. Drying streaks of semen added to the patterns. Eldrich had entered him hard and fast, and Laes had welcomed each and every thrust willingly, shouting so loudly he was sure the staff could hear them. His arse and thighs were coated with Eldrich’s release now, and his own juices had spurted all over the table and onto his stomach and chest. He was quite a mess, but a much contended one.

If the table had been any lighter they would probably have managed to move it with the force of their coupling. The surface was completely carved and there were indentations on his nipples as well, reddened by Eldrich’s twisting fingers. 

Eldrich had now pulled on his dressing gown and lit himself a cigarette. He sat at his desk looking at his papers.

“You’ll need to leave soon, if you want to return before dark,” he told Laes.

“I’m so tired,” Laes pouted, “Can’t I stay here? It is Saturday tomorrow and I am off duty. We could perhaps have sex a few more times... and in the morning I could wake you up with your – your... er... manhood in my ...my arse -”

“No, highly appealing though the thought is, I’m busy now and have an early morning. Unlike you, I have work.”

“I work too,” Laes said indignantly.

“Yes of course, you’re what now? Second guardsman. That must be very uplifting,” the taunt in Eldrich’s voice was unmistakable. Laes flushed but tried not to let it hurt him. He knew he was not good enough for Eldrich, given his low stature in the army and his lack of any other skills or qualifications, but hearing it from Eldrich’s own mouth, hurt even more. He wondered if perhaps that was why Eldrich did not treat him as an equal in bed, but then immediately put the thought the disturbing thought out of his head.

It was true his duties hadn’t changed much but at least he was no longer hauled up for public punishments in the barracks. He was to have fewer guard rosters, more time on weapons training and more study time. The study time was self regulated and he was expected to spend it study matters for his next promotion exams. There was military history and strategy and some complex subject related to weapons engineering. 

“And besides isn’t this your study period?” 

Laes flushed again. All second and third guardsmen had self-study time slots when they were to refresh themselves on their theoretical subjects. There were exams every few weeks that they would be evaluated on.

“I won’t be promoted again until next year anyway,” Laes said morosely.

“Really? Why?” Eldrich actually looked interested, and Laes found himself unburdening his unhappiness to the older man. 

He had been deputed to work with the flying unit cadets and officers for the last fortnight. He was not allowed near the machines but had helped the engineers with odd jobs such as cleaning the warehouses where they were stored and fetching items for repairs, painting work, and even smaller jobs such as helping start the motorcars for the unit, for he had finally learnt how to. Unfortunately, the unit included Anders and the lad had actually lodged a demerit against even the smallest of Laes’ errors, so that in one month Laes had as many official demerits as he had earlier had in half a year.

“Cavil said there are too many demerits in my name, and since I cannot be punished with a thrashing any more, he will have to hold back my promotion. He said it will set a bad example if he doesn’t,” Laes mumbled. He had been almost heartbroken when Cavil had called him into his study last week to tell him that. The only thing that had kept him going was that at least he had Eldrich’s love now.

“That’s terrible,” Eldrich said, sounding strangely intent as he walked up to Laes and sat on the settee by his bare body. He stroked his chest distractedly, his fingers lingering on Laes’ nipples, darkened now by his pinches and twists. Laes squirmed a little for the sensitive flesh still hurt a tad. 

Eldrich thoughtfully ran his finger down a thin scratch left by his nails. “You must be quite upset.”

“I am,” Laes said immediately, “Anders has been lodging complaints against me without any basis, and Cavil would not even let me defend myself! He lets the other guardsmen at least answer against their charges, but he won’t give me that privilege, as he calls it. He hardly does. He’s always jumping ready to give me extra rosters or beatings.” He couldn’t hide the bitterness from his voice, but he also felt himself blushing furiously. This was the first time he’d voiced this concern, to anyone at all. He knew it reflected how much he thought of Eldrich that he was able to tell him these hidden thoughts from deep inside his heart. Eldrich’s hand was resting on his belly now.

“Father has told him to – to – be harder – on me,” he said miserably. Terel had told Tiaana that as well, and she had been only too delighted, but Laes didn’t mention that.

Eldrich looked strangely thoughtful at that. He brushed Laes’ hip distractedly. Despite the serious nature of their discussion, Laes felt his arousal perk up at the motion and squirmed a little.

“I would be very angry if that were to happen to me,” Eldrich said quietly, “I’d protest.”

“I tried,” Laes said, quietly, and turned over onto his stomach, as Eldrich’s hand moved to stroke his buttock, “But Cavil won’t listen. I was very unhappy at first. But now I have found ways to cope with it.” 

“You have?” Eldrich asked. He ran his hands over the pale mounds and Laes let out an encouraging sigh, spreading his legs apart, as Eldrich’s fingers dipped into his crack.

‘I’ve found you...’ he wanted to say but stopped himself just in time. Eldrich had certainly expressed an interest in bedding him but Laes knew Eldrich was far from feeling for him as much as he felt for the older man.

Instead, he glanced up at the thoughtful visage.

“Fuck me again?” he said, “Please....Just this once, and then I’ll leave you to your work.”

‘I didn’t know you worked with Anders’ unit?” Eldrich said, “You’ve been on the new flying machines?” he slid his finger into Laes’ hole, still moist from their last bout.

“Oh no, his men won’t even allow us anywhere near them!” Laes snorted. In fact the chief engineer had cuffed him rather hard for entering the warehouse without permission, “I just helped clean and paint the new warehouses where they keep them, the hangars, they call them. Oooh!”

This last sound came as Eldrich slid a second finger inside him and scissored his entrance.

“Well, that’s still something,” Eldrich said, “Many of us have not even seen them from a distance.”

Laes sighed in pleasure as Eldrich straddled his thighs and undid his robe. He felt the older man’s hardness brush his sore arse. He bit back the tiny cry of pain that almost slipped out as Eldrich penetrated him, sliding into his passage swiftly.

He was almost limping and quite fatigued and cold when he returned home late that night. Eldrich’s apartment was nearly in the city outskirts and the walk was a long one. 

He collapsed into bed after undressing not bothering to wash up, secretly thrilled at the thought that Eldrich’s very essences were still inside him and on him. He was quite sore and even a little heartsick about their conversation and the memory of Cavil’s words, and it took him a while to fall into sleep.

***

Unsurprisingly he was late rising the next morning and was more than a little disconcerted when a sharp rapping sounded on his door as he hopped around the room in his towel, trying to find the boots he’d thrown somewhere last night. He had been further delayed by having to have a more intensive bath than usual, his body having been coated all over with the evidence of last night’s revels.

He opened the door to Eldrich and gaped at the older man as he swiftly slid in through the door.

“Eldrich,” he gasped, “What are you doing here.” He tightened the towel around his waist shyly and covered his bare chest with his other hand. His nipples were purpling from where Eldrich had pinched and twisted them yesterday, and his lower body too was bruised from the fingerholds. Anyone looking at his bare body could immediately deduce what he’d been up to last night.

“I don’t think there’s anything there I haven’t seen,” Eldrich smirked, “If you must know, I came to hand over some papers to Cavil. And then I thoughts I’d explore the sights of the morning here.”

He pulled the towel away. Laes yelped and covered his crotch with his hands.

“You told me you’d like to wake me up with your arse on my cock,” Eldrich said.

“H-here?” Laes gasped, “Now? What if someone comes by and –“

“Everyone else is at breakfast,” Eldrich smirked. “You’re late already. You may as well stay back and have a different sort of breakfast.” 

Laes blushed but happily let Eldrich nudge him towards the wall and willingly spread his legs wider when the long fingers slipped into his well-used entrance.

He got an earful and a handful from Tiaana for being late that day but ignored it.

“Aren’t you a little old to be thrashed bare-arsed like this?” Eldrich smirked that evening stroking his reddened arse. Laes blushed even deeper.

***

Eldrich, true to his words, was not a tender lover. He was hard and forceful and insatiable, and most mornings Laes woke up to a fresh set of bruises on his lower body. Laes tried not to think about how much better it would be if Eldrich would spend a little time preparing him, with some scented oils perhaps instead of just spit, or if they could spend some time just kissing. But the older man didn’t like kissing and would usually fob away Laes’ endeavours, with a brusque suggestion that he’d rather have his mouth lower.

Sometime the next week, after spending four straight days with Eldrich fucking him at least two or three times a day, Laes felt sufficiently sore and decided to prepare himself instead. He dug into his old store of supplies from Liame and located some jasmine scented oil. It smelt heavenly. Laes took it in his fingers; it was a little sticky. 

He had his duty at the city square that evening and would be leaving for Eldrich’s apartments directly from there. So after his luncheon at the mess, he slipped away to his changing room and was relieved to find it empty. He removed his uniform trousers and underpants, and squatting on the floor, coated his passage liberally with the oil. The feel of his own fingers inside himself after so many days was thrilling but not enough. He blushed as he realised that he was completely used to Eldrich’s fingers and touch, and most of all Eldrich’s thick cock inside of him.

He spent the afternoon out in a surprisingly warm day, the sun being out and the skies clear, the stickiness inside of him making him uncomfortable, but the thought of the evening ahead leaving him happy. After duty, he immediately went to Eldrich’s little apartment in the city outskirts. The older man hadn’t come by yet and as was his wont, Laes waited for him in the stables. Eldrich had a small staff there, a couple, the Bergs, who handled the caretaking, housekeeping and minor cooking requirements. Laes thought they were rather sour and unhelpful but Eldrich maintained they were extremely discreet and he trusted them greatly. To Laes’ sheer embarrassment, they thought nothing of walking into Eldrich’s chambers when he was with Laes often catching them in the very act. And Eldrich thought nothing of giving Berg instructions for his morning tea or breakfast even as he pounded into Laes’ arse.

The lady in particularly disliked Laes and had always refused to admit him inside unless Eldrich were present. Laes preferred to wait for Eldrich either in the small lane or in the stables. The sun was down now and it was chilly out so he stayed in the stables today. Eldrich would anyway come there to put away his horse and they could then go up to the house through the stairs inside.

For good measure, he decided to apply a little more oil. He used the empty stall they had sometimes used and lowering his lower garments, squatted on the floor. He was sitting there with his legs spread apart and two of his well-oiled fingers up his arse when Eldrich suddenly walked in through the entrance from the house.

“Well, you seem in a hurry!” he smirked, leaning against the stall where he usually stabled his horse.

Laes let out a yelp of surprise and then one of pain as he scratched himself by mistake, and then fell over. Eldrich continued standing there, watching with an amused expression as Laes finally sorted himself out.

“I was waiting for you here.”

“I motored down. Pooh...what’s that smell?” Eldrich wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“Horse dung?” Laes suggested tentatively, though he smelt nothing.

“Don’t be daft, the stables are cleaned daily,” Eldrich snapped, “Ugh – it’s jasmine or lavender... or...”

“I used jasmine oil,” Laes admitted unhappily.

“Whatever for? I can’t stand it,” Eldrich said and then sneezed, “Ugh, I hate strong fragrances. You’ll have to get rid of it...”

“I... used it... err... inside me...”

“Why?” Eldrich demanded and sniffled.

“I - I... was a little sore... and I thought – “

“Well, we could have sat out today so your delicate little arse could recover. Gods you’re such a damsel. Limpid little Lissie!”

“ N-no ... no... I – I w-want you.... but... it – it hurts... and ...”

“I told you I’m not gentle!” Eldrich snapped out.

“Y-yes... and I love it when you’re not. B-but...” Laes wished he could stop stammering but he just couldn’t gauge Eldrich’s mood and that terrified him.

“Weakling,” Eldrich smirked, “Very well, I can slow down as well, and I will certainly enjoy some of the slower things I plan to do to you! But first we need to rid you of that awful smell.”

He picked up the hose pipe and smirked. Laes actually shrieked as the first blast of water hit him. He fell back onto his arse. Even as he lay there dripping wet and shivering for the water was cold, Eldrich bounded into the stall, dropping the hose to the ground. Nudging Laes’ legs apart over, he felt his crack and entrance.

“Still oily,” he smirked into Laes’ face, and then to the younger man’s shock, Eldrich shoved him onto his back, pushed up his hips and aimed the hose right between his legs.

“Eeekkk....” Laes shrieked again as and the icy tip nudged his oil-slicked entrance. Cold water slammed into his lower body, and he tried to wriggle away. Eldrich held him in place, and doused him thoroughly, positioning his thumb at the hose so that a strong jet of water hit the sensitive skin.

“Haaa..... aaahhhhh....” Laes moaned as the water landed on his arse and balls, painful yet pleasurable, and chillingly cold.

He tried to clap his legs together only to be prevented by Eldrich’s strong hands. They were both wet now, Laes dripping all over but Eldrich’s eyes were gleaming with amusement and even a little lust.

“P-please...it’s cold... ahahhhh.... so c-c-c-old... oooohhhh....”

He shivered, feeling tears fill his eyes.

Eldrich finally slowed the stream to a stop and tossed the hose away, sitting back on his heels, his eyes bright with laughter. Laes rose, shivering as a draught of cold wind blew through the open window.

“We’re not done yet,” Eldrich said. He tossed a bar of carbolic soap at Laes, “The smell is still there, soap yourself.” Laes stared up at him and bit his lip.

Eldrich took Laes’ hand and lathered it with soap.

“Go on, shove your fingers in, just like you were doing now. Show me what you do when I’m not there.”

“I _ c-can’t,” Laes knew he was blushing furiously.

“Show me,” Eldrich commanded, “Take off all your clothes. And then show me.”

He obeyed, blushing deeply. He removed his sodden clothes. And then he sat on a small crate, his arse lifted partly, one leg splayed sideways. Eldrich shook his head and guided him onto his fours, making him left one leg over the crate.

“Like an animal,” Eldrich smirked.

Laes hung his head shamefully. Eldrich soaped his exposed arse and then guided Laes’ soaped fingers into his entrance with his own fingers. Laes gasped as four fingers slid into his oil slicked entrance, lathering him inside completely. 

“Uunnnnhhh....” he moaned, as he felt his fingers being pressed against his walls.

“Harder,” Eldrich hissed, “Fuck yourself... go on... see your little cock hardening...”

Laes moaned in embarrassment as his fingers were pushed in deeper, and his groin tightened.

“Aaahhhh...” he moaned, uncaring of the fact that the door to the house was open and he would be heard in the staff quarters as well, “Haaa---aaaa.....”

“Go on... clean yourself...” Eldrich grunted.

Laes let out a protesting moan when Eldrich pulled their intertwined fingers out, and sloshed more icy water on his buttocks.

The smell of carbolic soap hung heavy in the air and Laes shook his head.

“Phew, that’s rid of the smell at least. Stay there, Lissie, I’m going to fuck you now, slowly as you asked,” Eldrich smirked, nudging Laes down onto the wet floor.

He was true to his word. He tied Laes’ hands to a wooden tier with his belt, and then used the extra saddle belts lying around to bind cock. He lifted his legs folding them back against his shoulders and then entered him with excruciating slowness, holding back deliberately at regular intervals, letting the younger man fell him filling each inch of his passage. Laes moaned as his balls tightened, blood pooling at the base of his cock. 

It seemed like ages with Laes’ every nerve taut and screaming, his entire body a mass of sensation, when Eldrich came inside him, filling his insides. When Eldrich finally pulled out an untied him, Laes flopped over onto his side, hard and aching but too exhausted and cold to do anything.

He let out a pitiful moan until Eldrich wrapped his hand around his swollen cock and brought him to release.

They were both too exhausted to move after that and dozed off there in the stables, using the horse blankets for warmth, and the hay sacks as cushions. Somewhere late in the night, Eldrich rose and sleepily announced he was returning to bed. Laes refused to move and burrowed deeper into the blanket, ignoring the stink of horse manure and sweat. It wasn’t until sunrise the next morning that Laes felt up to rising, waking only when he heard the clattering sound of doors being opened. Mrs. Berg walked in with fresh bales of hay and noticing him, let out a snort of disgust, before leaving.

Laes glanced sleepily around. He was freezing. The stable window had been slightly open last night, and a cold draught of air blew in. The soap and water mess on the floor had frosted over and as he moved, brittle shards of frost crunched under his feet. He found his hands shaking as he tried to pull on his clothes.

He entered the house when he’d dressed, and made for Eldrich’s bedroom, hoping to wash up in some warm water before leaving.

“Master Eldrich is sleeping,” Mrs. Berg told him barring his way, She was short in stature and seemed all skin and bone, but Laes had seen her lift sacks of vegetables and even move furniture around while cleaning and knew that she was far stronger than she looked. Her husband stepped silently out of an alcove, with a candle stick and a polishing rag in his hands. 

“You leave. He said he will not have you stay nights. He is a respectable man. If it is found he lets whore like you into his bed,” she shuddered at the thought.

“I’m not a whore,” Laes said indignantly. He didn’t expect Mrs. Berg, who was from one of the outlying villages, to know he was from a respectable family as well, but there was no reason for her to think of him in such terms!

“Then why this secrecy?” she demanded her eyes flashing, “If you were no whore, he would call you to his town apartment where he calls his other friends. His other gentlemen friends as well,” she sounded almost triumphant as she spoke. 

Laes flushed in annoyance. 

“I just wanted to wash up,” he said however, not wishing to argue with her, “If you could give me some warm water...”

“No, I take orders only from master Eldrich. You leave now.”

There was little Laes could do but leave as she nearly ordered him to. Still red from embarrassment, he returned home, scurrying through the thankfully empty streets in his still-sodden clothes. Back in his chambers he washed himself in some lukewarm water left in his bathchamber, scraping away the mix of dried soap and semen and mud.

***

Laes found himself sniffling during his duties the next day, his throat scratchy and itching, the cold and wet escapades of the previous night having their impact after all. For once he was glad when Eldrich sent a note saying he would be away and they would not spend the day together, even thought it was the weekend and his day off. He brewed a pot of hot water, honey and herbs and drank it by the cupfuls but to no avail. Even when Tiaana doled out his weekly punishment that day, he had no energy to object to her commands. He dropped his pants and took Sereian’s beating without protest.

His cough worsened through the night. By breakfast the next morning, Sunday, he was sneezing as well. Cavil frowned at him in irritation.

“Do stop that awful noise, Laes,” Tiaana said in irritation, “I have a headache and you’re making it worse.”

“Poor love,” Eon said sympathetically, placing his hand on hers, “You do feel warm. You must go see a doctor.”

“I’ll go down and see Mylla at the university,” Tiaana conceded.

“I’ll take you there,” Anders said gallantly.

“Why? Is there a new nurse who has caught your eye?” Tiaana retorted, but with a smile playing on her lips, “Is it that pretty girl with the reddish hair?”

“Do as you please. But take Laes with you!” Cavil said, “His cough disturbed me all of last night! The military hospital thinks a routine cold is beneath their notice, and will merely issue some ineffective cough mixture and leave nature to take its course!”

Laes followed Tiaana And Anders with reluctance that morning, to the university hospital where Mylla was teaching that day. They had come outside of consulting hours, a privilege accorded to friends and family of the teaching staff. Anders immediately skipped off towards the nurses’ station.

Mylla ushered Tiaana into her room. She made Laes wait while she examined Tiaana. Laes blushed a little as Tiaana loosened the top buttons on her dress, exposing the valley between her ample breasts. Mylla placed the stethoscope there and chatted quietly to Tiaana as she listened to her heartbeat and took her pulse, and placed a thermometer in her mouth for a temperature reading.

“Just a mild fever,” Mylla said as Tiaana redid her ties, “I’ll give you a syrup. Now what’s with Laes?”

Tiaana lowered her head and whispered something softly to Mylla. Laes shifted uncomfortably as the two women turned towards him and stared at him. He felt quite ill now, and had even had a coughing fit here already. His chest and nose felt clogged and he was really quite miserable.

Mylla called for the head nurse, a very pretty red-haired young woman, and waved a hand at Laes.

“Would you have the lad prepared, Rien? And perhaps we could use him for the students' demonstration. I’ll be in shortly.”

“Prepared, doctor? It’s just a cough and cold isn’t it?” the head nurse gave Laes an inquisitive look. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Anders had followed her over. Clearly she was his latest flame.

“Ah, well, he’s a – a – deviant,” Mylla seemed quite amused, “We may need to examine him for more than a mere cough and cold.”

Laes stared at her speechlessly.

“He was out being buggered two nights ago and has been like this since he returned,” Anders added in amusement.

Laes flushed in annoyance, and scowled at him.

He was about to say something, when they were interrupted by someone’s arrival.

“Eldrich!” Mylla smiled up at her visitor, “Oh dear, I forgot all about our plans for lunch!”

“Lunch sounds lovely!” Anders jumped up immediately, “I assume you will invite us along,” he said charmingly.

“Of course you little scamp! But I need to examine Laes now, so we may need to wait.”

“Examine little Lisse?” Eldrich asked immediately, “Why?” And then as everyone turned towards him, he added on, “Does he want you to make his little feature bigger?”

Laes gave Eldrich a hurt look as the others burst out laughing.

“The idiot has been snivelling so much, it has caused my dear sister a headache, and our dear Cavil a night of undisturbed sleep. Although judging by the scent in his room, I think it’s not the disturbance to his sleep that he meant, but more to his other activities.”

Laes tried to catch Eldrich’s eye but the older man was chatting to Tiaana as he left.

She led him to a large room which had various examination tables and all kinds of instruments. A group of young women and a few men dressed in the traditional grey gowns of the university's medical students stood around another nurse who seemed to be explaining something to them. 

“Undress, please,” Rien told him. Anders had followed her over.

As Laes undressed, Anders continued flirting with her. When he was done Laes stood waiting patiently, in his underpants.

“Take that off, as well,” Rien waved at his underpants.

Laes looked around the room, noticing the female students staring at him expectantly, “In front of all these people?” he gulped.

Instead of responding Rien simply pulled down his pants, and shoving him onto the exam table, pulled them off altogether. Laes yelped and covered himself.

Rien snorted. “Don’t be a baby. You know this is a university and there are students here. They've seen plenty of naked men. Now stand there.”

She made him remove his hands, and stand on a weighing machine. And then against the wall so she could measure his height. Then she made him lie on a bed and showed the students how to take his pulse. He closed his eyes shut tight as they placed their fingers on his wrist, giggling away happily. They touched his wrist, his throat and the fold between his groin and leg. She also showed them how to take his temperature. To his mortification, she insisted she need to use a rectal thermometer for him even though he pointed out Mylla had just used the mouth instrument on his sister.

"Please do not argue with me," Rien said calmly, "If you behave like this, I will sedate you." As she took his temperature, holding the cold glass probe inside his most intimate place, Mylla, Tiaana and Eldrich had walked in.

“He does take things up his arse rather well, doesn’t he?” Tiaana smirked.

“Why’s his arse so red?” Eldrich asked, “Does he have a lover who likes to play with his arse?” his voice sounded quite hard, and Laes was almost about to jump in with an explanation when Tiaana responded.

“I had him thrashed for disobedience last evening.”

“Unsurprising,” Eldrich commented drily, “Oh come, do hurry now, Mylla. I’m hungry and Anders will probably have asked out each of those female students to lunch or supper if we don’t leave soon.” 

Anders was indeed flirting with some of the younger women now.

At Rien’s instruction, Laes lay down on the bed, bare as earlier. The group of doctors crowded around him now, while Eldrich and his siblings stood a little away. Mylla examined the pulse at his neck and then his wrist. Her cool, soft fingers ran over his chest, feeling his ribs. She grasped a nipple and examined it, frowning. Laes let out a soft sound at the sudden touch.

“There are scratches here,” she announced, "But nothing to worry about." The students around smirked. Laes squirmed and flushed. 

Mylla lifted his limp shaft and held it aside with a metal implement. It felt cold and he whimpered. Using a small metal stick she pointed out a scratch down there and a light bruise. He heard more smirks, and the students moved closer. Something brushed his balls, while fingers stroked his bare legs.

He took a deep, steadying breath and tried not to burst into tears. Tiaana and Anders openly smirked at him, while Eldrich gave him an indecipherable look. Mylla made him lie on his side, and he did so gratefully, hoping that meant the end of this embarassing experience. However, instead Mylla slipped on a pair of gloves, and picked up another metallic implement, one which had two beak like edges. Resting a hand on Laes' rump, she nudged one leg ahead, and placed a finger on his exposed entrance.

"Wh-wha-" Laes tried to move but found Rien holding down his shoulder.

"do not move, you could hurt yourself," Mylla said sharply, and placed the beak like instrument at his entrance.

The metal implement entered his passage. It was hard and cold. He gasped softly. Mylla twisted something and he felt the metal prongs widening his entrance, more and more. He let out a soft cry as he was stretched wider and wider.

"Aaannnhhh...." he moaned.

“You should be used that," Tiaana spoke up suddenly, "Unless of course your paramour has as tiny a cock as yours!" 

Mylla slipped in a gloved finger. Her touch was impersonal and almost painful. Laes felt tears stream from his eyes as her finger explored the walls of his passage, prodding and pressing. She widened his passage some more and slipped the finger in deeper.

Laes let out a soft cry and felt his balls tighten. Suddenly Mylla pulled out her finger.

“It’s all clear, just a regular cold, I’ll give you some infusions,” she announced, removing her gloves, “You may dress.”

He pulled on his clothes, avoiding the glances of the women around.

***

“Did you have fun at the hospital?” Eldrich asked him the next day when he’d recovered and had presented himself at Eldrich’s city apartment.

“It was so humiliating,” Laes shuddered, “Why didn’t you stop them!”

“Whatever could I do? I’m not a doctor,” Eldrich smirked and swatted him on his buttocks, “Although if you like I could pretend to be one and shove my fingers in your arse?”

***

Over the next few days, Laes noticed Eldrich did try to take things slower, and in fact actually made them more exciting.

He liked to try new things as well. In a few days Laes felt like they’d tried every surface in the small house, each table, the hard, lumpy cot that Eldrich used as a bed sometimes, the floor. There were days when he fucked Laes with just his fingers until he’d come sobbing and heaving. And then do it all over again. Another time he brought Laes to completion merely by toying with his nipples. He had pinched and twisted the brown nubs into hard peaks, and then continued twisting and pinching until Laes had been wound into a mix of pleasure and pain and had finally come in his trousers. It had been embarrassing and Eldrich had laughed but the thought of it now sent Laes’ heart racing. And he liked using things on Laes as well, slipping in phalluses, beads, and other things as well. He also kept an array of oils he was not allergic to. 

Sometimes he tied Laes in odd positions - one leg in the air, one spread aside or with both legs spread aside and then folded almost to his shoulder, or on his stomach with his legs spread and folded back, ankles tied to his thighs. Then he would finger Laes slowly and excruciatingly until he’d beg to be fucked. 

Laes had been shocked at first but then he realised, a little shyly that he secretly relished being treated like this by Eldrich. 

***

Eldrich was playing on his piano one evening and Laes sat listening to him. He’d spent a while before that working on the instrument with a set of tuning forks.

“That was beautiful,” Laes proclaimed. He had no idea what the music was but it sounded nice.

“It was still horribly out of tune. You know nothing of music do you? Eldrich said blandly, “I need to work now, find something to amuse yourself, for about half an hour, will you? Try not to spend yourself too much! I’d feel terrible if you were too tired later.”

Laes grinned.

“You could have a bath,” Eldrich suggested, “You stink of the grease and heaven knows what else!”

Laes flushed, but hurried to comply. He’d been deputed to clean the hangars again today. He was the only second guardsman being assigned to these duties now, while the others were actually being shown how to clean the machines themselves. It was all the more evident now, his next promotion was to be held back.

After he’d bathed, Laes folded his clothes and pulled on an old dressing gown that Eldrich had lent him. It had a floral paisley print in pale pink and violet and was edged with brocade and lace. Laes suspected it was something Eldrich had actually bought for a female lover. But he didn’t want to fuss and he would be wearing it just inside the house so he’d accepted it.

Laes sat by the fireplace and watched Eldrich work for a while. He picked up one of the tuning forks idly, and wished he knew more about music or art or literature, so he and Eldrich could have something more to talk about

He tapped the tuning fork lightly as he’d seen Eldrich do earlier and watched the tines vibrate. A slight shudder went through his body. He licked his lips as the idea struck him suddenly. He opened his dressing gown, baring his chest. He tapped the tuning fork against the sofa arm and then held it against his exposed nipple. The sensation was unlike anything he’d felt. 

It buzzed through his body, starting from his sensitive nipple. He closed his eyes savouring in the medley of sensations. His entire body seemed to thrum. The fork fell from his nerveless fingers He let out a soft, lustful moan without even realising it, and sank deeper into the sofa, his free hand slipping between his legs. He let out a deep sigh.

When he opened his eyes, almost exhausted, Eldrich was staring at him. He smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, I -...”

Eldrich reached for the tuning fork. He was clearly aroused, to Laes’ delight.

“On your back on the sofa,” he growled.

Laes complied immediately. Eldrich picked up a polishing rag from the case and oiled the fork handle generously. He pulled out a thick wire from the box, and oiled that as well. Laes lay on his back and lifted his legs, spreading them apart, exposing his hole to Eldrich’s gaze.

He slid the oiled handle in. It was a little thick but Laes found he could take it in. He grunted a little as the rest of the fork handle was pushed in. The tines protruded from his arse. The cold metal lodged inside him felt odd and he squirmed uncomfortably.

Eldrich palmed his cock, fondling it lightly. Laes moaned at the touch. Eldrich’s hands felt so wonderful on his sensitive skin, slightly rough, enough to send little waves of friction across his lower body.

“Have you ever had anything in your cock?” Eldrich asked him.

He flushed but nodded.

“Why am I not surprised?” Eldrich snorted. 

He slid the thin mental wire in through Laes’ slit. The younger man whimpered but didn’t stop him. Eldrich stood back once he’d inserted the wire some way in. Laes trembled from the effort the position required but stayed in place, holding his legs apart, his arse stuffed with the tuning fork, and his erect, flushed cock, with the wire protruding from it.

Eldrich picked up another tuning fork. He stroked Laes’ inside thigh with it, and then suddenly tapped it against the wire protruding from his penis. Laes buckled at the sensation, as the vibrations rang through the metal. Even as he struggled to cope with that, Eldrich reached for the fork in his arse and pulled the tines closed and released them suddenly. They began vibrating while inside Laes. It was unlike anything he’d known. He let out a needy howl and dropped his legs, curling into himself as his body thrummed with tiny waves. It seemed to go on and on. When the sensation finally stopped, Eldrich repeated his gestures. And then yet again one more time. Laes’ balls were swollen, and aching for release. He almost howled when Eldrich finally removed the wire and stroked his engorged cock, and his release spurted out. He was still strumming with need when Eldrich removed the fork and entered him.

He lay curled into Eldrich on the floor when they were done, too exhausted to move. Eldrich too seemed more tired than usual.

***

On their quieter nights when they simply fucked slowly, Eldrich surprisingly talked a lot in bed. Of late he talked a lot about the new flying machines and Liame’s new scientific factory. Laes pretended he was interested, even though he cared little about these. He even seemed interested in all the people Laes met every time when he joined his fellows for a drink. 

Laes liked going out with them but always felt a little distanced by the time they were done.

“They’re happier in the army than elsewhere I think,” Laes said, sighing, as he sat on the rug beside Eldrich. They were on the floor by the fireplace, for the evening was chilly. He dipped a small towel in warm lavender flavoured water and wiped the globs of semen off his reclining lover. 

Laes had been late that evening since he’d been out with his army friends and had kept Eldrich waiting. Eldrich had been very put off by this and had refused to fuck Laes that evening. He’d sat at the table and calmly had soup instead.

Laes had just made up for that with his mouth, sucking Eldrich into hardness and bringing him to a climax with his tongue and fingers. He’d been quite satisfied to see Eldrich lie back looking quite weak-kneed but contented after that. He’d been too exhausted to even see to Laes’ aching arousal so the young man had taken care of that himself, even as Eldrich had watched. Laes had then offered to take care of his other needs, and so was cleaning off the traces of their fucking.

“If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you leave the army?” Eldrich shrugged. He shifted to give Laes access to his inner thighs. He tossed a few fragrant woodblocks into the fire.

“I couldn’t do that!” Laes protested. He didn’t want to tell Eldrich he doubted he could get another job, with his limited qualifications and education. The woodblocks had started smoking now and their fragrance immediately filled the room. He sighed pleasurably.

“Whatever do you all talk about so much?” Eldrich inquired. 

“Oh, so many things! Err... who works on what.... some of them are guarding the new weapons stores... oh and a few just returned from the mountain post, they’ve used the new guns... and the Fifth Cavalry just returned from Sevona. They said the new border post at the seventy-eighth is very impressive...”

He didn’t want to tell Eldrich they spent much of their time gossiping of the personal lives of the officers, who was courting who, and who was fucking whom. The guardswomen in particular seemed to know a lot about which officers were cheating on their wives, and Laes got an illicit pleasure out of learning that many of Tiaana’s and even Eldrich’s so-called respectable friends were not so respectable in the bedchamber after all.

“Well, that’s nice. You seem to know a lot more of what goes on around than even I do,” Eldrich let out a soft brittle laugh, and pushed Laes’ hand off his thigh, “I don’t suppose you know where Heth is, do you?”

Laes stilled in his task, his hand resting on Eldrich’s knee. “Eldrich,” he breathed softly. He knew Heth was never far from Eldrich’s thoughts. More often than not while they had been making love, Eldrich had let Heth’s name slip in a tone he never used for Laes’ name.

“I must go sleep now. You can leave after you finish your soup.” He rose, pulling his dressing gown tight around him.

Laes scrabbled to his feet, a difficult task since his leggings were still undone, “I – hoped we could fuck...” he tried to adopt a sultry tone.

“Don’t talk like that. It makes you sound more like a whore than anything else,” Eldrich snapped, and walked off, leaving Laes to wonder what he’d done wrong now.

***

It took another two days before Eldrich summoned him to his apartment again. Laes spent those two days on tenterhooks, trying to approach Eldrich in his study or at the palace.

Eldrich had calmed down now. Laes tried to ask him about the other day, but Eldrich made an evasive sound and clammed up after that. They spent a quiet and fulfilling evening together, and when Eldrich somewhere in the throes of passion called out for Heth, Laes ignored it again.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laes and Eldrich continue along, with a few squabbles. 
> 
> And Laes' dimensions get much discussion
> 
> Warnings for mentions of figging, playing with other condiments and spices, use of sandpaper, object insertion, urethral insertion, orgasm denial, rough sex, size kinks
> 
> Sorry for the delayed update, RL is very hectic. But I bring you in appeasement a long chapter full of our two men making out

Eldrich reverted to his moody, unpredictable ways but Laes just couldn’t find it in his heart to say anything. Often when he reached the town house in the evening, he would find him sitting in the small open terrace outside the study, smoking a cigarette, unmindful of the deepening cold. In the dimming evening light, the shadows on his face darkened, the furrows and lines seemed harsher and the brilliant blue eyes looked as hard and cold as the cobbled stones on the road below. At other times, he was full of energy and impatience, tapping his feet away, while working, barely concealing the eagerness with which he awaited Laes. And at still others, he would be quiet, unhurried, even seemingly untroubled.

He would be excruciatingly tender one day, preparing Laes for what seemed like ages, using unscented oils and then entering him slowly and cautiously, reducing Laes to a whimpering, mewling creature begging to be fucked, so loud at times that when he sneaked out late in the night, the brothel keepers across the road would smirk knowingly. There were days when they fucked like this, Eldrich would bind Laes’ cock and balls with his belt, and then after releasing him, Eldrich would guide Laes’ hands over his own erection till he could stroke himself to orgasm. Laes invariably reacted by blacking out as wave after wave of pleasure plucked every nerve end of his body. 

But the very next day he would be insatiably rough, pounding Laes’ ill-prepared passage painfully, squeezing and twisting him all over with his fingers, till Laes was sore inside and outside, and mentally uneasy too from the litany of hurtful names that Eldrich would hurl at him. At those moments nothing Laes could do or say would help, Eldrich was so convinced the younger man had indeed whored himself out. Once, he even followed the hateful tactic that some of the foreign merchants or diplomats like Helye did and inserted a purse filled with payment into Laes’ arse. Laes had wept that day, and Eldrich had simply moved to his terrace to smoke shutting the door behind him so Laes could not even speak to him.

There were worse times when he was indifferent, entering Laes almost mechanically, spending himself inside him and rising off with little to say. Laes would have to take care of his own needs as ever, but it would take longer and Eldrich would have long since left.

***

In spite of all this, Laes found himself opening up to the older man, spilling out all his uncertainties and fears as he never had to anyone else. Eldrich listened, not venturing an opinion, just letting Laes speak himself to exhaustion. Laes was particularly worried now that he had more duties at Anders’ unit. Anders was more than a little rude to him, and took immense pleasure in deriding him in public for the smallest of faults. Laes didn’t talk about that yet, though. He was also worried that despite being second guardsman, he still had messenger work and palace shifts, while his fellow guardsmen had moved onto advanced weapons training. He didn’t mind those so much though; as it meant he could at times encounter Eldrich there.

Eldrich asked him to talk of all his mountain stints, and Laes did, barring his experiences with Dern and Nels. It gratified him that Eldrich at least seemed interested in his injury in the trenches.

“And so you were just there, unconscious, while the battle went on around you?” he asked each time.

“Yes,” Laes nodded, “When I woke up it was quite a scare I can tell you!”

***

He professed interest in Laes’ studies as well, although a lot of times he just used it as an avenue to gently mock Laes. He had found Laes alone in the library early one morning after he’d finished a meeting with Cavil. He’d surprised Laes at his desk, by lowering his loose nightshirt off his shoulder and roughly fingering his accessible nipples. Laes’ body reacted instantly, but he tried to act responsibly.

“I – I have to study,” he said, looking up at Eldrich’s lovely grey eyes. His lover looked particularly fetching today in a white silk shirt, black trousers with a cream stripe running down their side and gleaming black boots. He carried a rich sable trimmed cloak, “We have a test in class tomorrow.” Eldrich’s top shirt buttons were open, and tuft of golden hair peeked out of it.

“Why do you breathe so harshly?” Eldrich asked, even as Laes tried to calm his fluttering heart. The older man’s hand rested on his chest, stroking it gently. “What are you wearing under your nightshirt?” he whispered in his ear as he undid the bindings and lowered the nightshirt almost down to Laes’ elbow. His right nipple was completely exposed and he blushed, as Eldrich’s fingernail ran circles over it, till it hardened to a tiny mound.

“N-n -nothing...” Laes admitted, blushing.

“Not even your torn underpants?”

“N-no.”

He turned the younger man around and stared down at him.

“Show me!” He commanded, “Show me your cock and arse.”

His tone was so deep and strong, that Laes complied immediately, lifting his nightshirt up and spreading apart his bare legs, to display his naked crotch and buttocks.

Eldrich worked with the bindings and lowered the nightshirt completely, letting it at pool at Laes’ groin.  
He dipped a finger in Laes’ navel and twisted it slightly so that seemed to drill into his stomach. Laes let out a surprised sound as a pleasant sensation travelled through his entire lower body, and his cock twitched.

Eldrich stepped back and smirked. 

“See how you look,” he indicated towards the long narrow gilt-edged mirrors on the wall opposite them.

Laes could see how he looked, sitting there against the opulent furnishings, in nothing but a nightshirt that too rolled down to his bare groin. He looked particularly wanton. Embarrassed, he ducked his head. Eldrich stared down at him in amusement.

“I do believe your pretty little blush covers all of your body,” he smirked. Ignoring Laes’ obvious want, he looked at the papers Laes had been working on, and picking up a pencil corrected the sums. 

“I fear, my hen-witted little lad, that you may not pass this exam as easily as you think. None of these are correct!”

Laes bit his lip miserably, his thoughts flying back to his work now, “I-it’s not very easy,” he mumbled, “We didn’t learn all these formulae in school in Aene.”

“Oh you went to school there? I thought you spent your time in the stables letting the lads and horses fuck you,” Eldrich smirked.

Laes’ face fell. “That’s not funny,” he said unhappily and tugged his nightshirt into place, slipping it back on over his semi-naked body. He turned back to his work.

“Is Commander Parvel teaching you Mechanicals? Perhaps you could offer your arse to old master Pervy then,” Eldrich was laughing no, as he leaned over Laes’ shoulders and glanced at his papers. He slid his hand down and tugged Laes’ rearranged nightshirt out from under him, pushing it up, and exposing his back. “Oh I say, I do recollect now. He was quite taken with it after your little display at the midsummer play all those years ago. Told your lady mother you had quite the finest bottom he’d seen in a while. She took it in good sport, I thought.” He stroked Laes’ arse as he spoke. 

Laes flushed even deeper now. Master Parvel had been one of the people who’d cornered him after the play and tried to grope him. His knobbly fingers had even breached Laes’ entrance before the younger man had managed to pull away. It had hurt greatly and out of anger, Parvel had tugged Laes’ balls painfully, leaving him almost screaming in pain.

“Don’t be such a prude!” he’d muttered, and groped at Laes’ cock, even as he tried to fob off the intrusive hands. He’d let him go after fondling him a little more.

Laes pushed away the memory and leaned forward lifting his arse slightly to give Eldrich’s hand more access. The older man was leaning over Laes’ shoulder and looking at the other sheet now, “Oh, weaponry, is it?” he mused. His fingers travelled down Laes’ crack and the younger man shivered at the touch. He heard him muttering to himself, “Hmmm... if a cannonball measuring.... hmmm... how far would it travel...” 

Eldrich pushed a finger into Laes’ entrance. Laes sighed in encouragement.

“Looks a little complex for you, doesn’t it?” Eldrich said pleasantly, “Now if they’d reworded this to say perhaps that if I were to fuck you now, push my cock into your ever-willing arse...” Here he twisted his finger slightly, inside Laes, causing him to whimper slightly at the pleasing feeling it produced, “... if I were to do so, then how far would the seed from your tiny little cock travel....?”

He fucked Laes there in the library after that, in one of the quieter reading alcoves, on the floor above, standing him in front of the unlit fireplace, with his hands resting on the mantelpiece, still wearing the nightshirt. As promised he fucked Laes so hard the younger man could barely cling to the mantel, driving his cock into his arse, filling him with his juices, and fondling him till he spurted his seed into the empty hearth.

***

Sometimes he left Laes waiting for days for a summons, usually after a night when they’d argue over something. When Laes had accidentally found that Eldrich still slept with other men and women, he’d been hurt. He had been there to deliver a message, and had gaped in shock as he’d opened the study door to find Eldrich straddling a tall, lithe red-haired man with a smooth bronzed body, his long nut-brown fingers cupping Eldrich’s golden smooth buttocks as he rocked himself up and down. Laes had been almost stupefied and then embarrassed and had nearly fled without leaving the message.

“You said you wouldn’t share with me!” he’d groused as they lay in bed that evening.

“I said I wouldn’t share you. I never said anything about myself,” Eldrich thrust lazily into Laes.

“It’s not fair.”

“Oh so you won’t share me, is it?” Eldrich’s voice had the familiar mocking tone that Laes was so used to but hated so much.

“I won’t,” he said stubbornly.

“Well, you can stay out of my bed then” Eldrich declared, pulling out of Laes so suddenly he cried out, “Off you go.”

He brushed aside all of Laes’ protests and handing him his clothes told him to shove off. When Laes continued to argue, he called Mr. Berg down and had him show Laes to the door. Burning with embarrassment, the younger man had complied.

They had stayed apart for nearly three days when Laes finally gave in and returned to Eldrich’s door, begging to be forgiven for his pride.

Eldrich had been expectedly smug, and decidedly masterly in bed. Laes had scrambled to obey each and every command in bed, his body thrummed with need and anticipation. The last three days had been tortuous.

“I’ll be fair,” Eldrich declared, early the next morning after he’d fucked Laes for what might have been the third time. Laes had lost count and he was awfully sore but incredibly happy.

“I’ll share you. Go on and feel free to give your arse over to others. Perhaps then you can buy yourself some new underwear?” 

Laes blushed unbecomingly as he pulled on his frayed and greying underpants. In embarrassment he bent down to pull on his boots.

“At this rate, you won’t even need to take them off to be fucked,” Eldrich smirked, as he fingered the fraying seam that ran along Laes’ crack.

“I don’t have anyone else,” Laes protested, in a bid to drive the subject away from that of his clothes. His personal wardrobe was certainly in bad state. He needed to buy underclothes certainly but he also needed new tunics and trousers. And his earnings were getting cut more frequently. As a second guardsman while he couldn’t be beaten, he could be penalised monetarily. And he was more frequently given demerits nowadays for being late for roll-calls; his exertions with Eldrich left him sore and exhausted in the mornings. Not that he would give those up for anything. And the last three days, he’d cried himself to sleep and woken up late.

“Of course,” Eldrich cut into his reflections sarcastically.

“I never whored myself out,” Laes said passionately.

“You mean no one ever paid you after fucking you, apart from the few coppers I sent you?” Eldrich smirked, as Laes paled at the embarrassing memory of the night Eldrich had first pissed on him in his drunken state and then fucked him thinking him to be a whore. Eldrich found the whole episode amusing now but it still distressed Laes.

“Never? No one else at all?”

Laes coloured and lapsed into silence, he couldn’t forget either the coin pouch that Helye had so crudely shoved into his arse the evening they’d returned to Varanya. He’d shoved it into a corner of his cupboard, unable to bear the humiliating memories of that awful experience.

Eldrich laughed, “I knew it. That little arse of yours has had a lot of men hasn’t it? And women too, I gather?” 

Laes reddened even more, as Eldrich burst out laughing. 

It was nearing midwinter now and the palace winter court was underway. The various lords from all the provinces and counties came down for the winter council with the king few days of intense work and some pleasure. The winter court was a very social affair as well, for this was the last bout of pleasant weather for many before the winter snows and cold, and Adrian often had a large ball. Hence, most of them came with their staff and family and servants, and so for an entire fortnight, Varanya was filled with a stream of visitors. 

Many of Eldrich’s old friends from school came by as well, the sons and daughters of various lords and generals and admirals. They were friends of Laes’ siblings as well, but most of them barely recognised Laes. Eldrich was busy most evenings in the taverns, and the time he spent with Laes was reduced to a half hour or two in which he usually fucked him quickly and distractedly. At times, not even that, for Laes would reach the house and find Eldrich was not to arrive that day. Mrs. Berg would give him the message with immense glee, and cock her head towards the brothels across the road. With so many visitors, their business was brisk as well, and many fine carriages lined the small lane.

“You get yourself there,” she would smirk.

Eldrich’s bed in his palace or town apartments was quite full as well that fortnight, and Laes thought morosely that he had little right to have spoken as he did. He inadvertently came across some in the palace apartments, for Eldrich had his other liaisons with men and women alike, in the afternoons, when Laes was often sent to the palace with messages for the prince by one of his officers. Eldrich was still continuing his investigation sin the mountain regions, and there were often messages from the units stationed there. On one occasion, that Laes had the unfortunate occasion to accidentally view, Eldrich had even been the mare! That had hurt him greatly for Eldrich still refused to let Laes fuck him. He wouldn’t even take his cock in his mouth. Laes had to rely only on Eldrich’s or his own hands. Eldrich often lay with Yarne as well. Laes had glimpsed her leaving, slipping on a robe over her well-endowed, tanned frame.

Eldrich’s favourite partner seemed to be a very beautiful older lady with whom he was often seen dining as well, in the city. When Laes had first come across her, Eldrich was thrusting into her body as she laid spread out in front of him, her long, shapely legs, wrapped around his back. His hands had been cupping her breasts tenderly and then he’d nuzzled his face between the twin mounds, showering kisses over her in a manner that he’d never done with Laes. Like Eldrich she was tanned a uniform gold all over, even in her buttocks and breasts. Her hair was a deep red, and later that day, in the palace, Laes recognised her as the wife of a duke from one of the southern counties. He was more than a little horrified that she could be cheating on her husband. 

“That was Lady Muriel from Ostra you were with. She’s married!” he said indignantly, to Eldrich that evening while delivering him a message from Cavil.

“So,” Eldrich said, sounding bored, “I won’t need you tonight. I have other plans. You take yourself off to The Nest or wherever it is you go,” he finished scribbling something on a fresh sheet of paper and sealed it with his signet ring. Here, take this to Cavil.” Laes felt a little stung by the summary dismissal.

“I can’t imagine someone of her stature could be so wanton,” he said pertly. He wasn’t too surprised when Eldrich responded by slapping him.

“Shut up!” he hissed, “You have no call to speak of your betters like that. Get out. Go wash that mouth of your with soap.”

It took nearly a week for them to reconcile.

***

They were still on ill-spoken terms despite Laes’ notes of apology, when Terel announced a dinner in honour of a visiting diplomat, and mentioned that Adrian and his family would attend to. Laes sulked when he heard the news. He’d seen Eldrich with a new partner each day, and while he had rather rebelliously gone over to The Nest, the place was crowded and full of many, handsome young men, most of whom were far less inhibited compared to Laes. Some of them wore outfits that showed off trim and well-proportioned chests, others wore tight pants and short tunics that exposed every contour of their lower body. Laes had no propositions that day. The season for fresh gooseberry wine was over as well, and all he could afford was a cheap wine that tasted acrid and gave him a headache.

He wore his neatest set of clothes for the dinner. Tiaana had a new gown made in the Parvian fashion. Sula and Lya too had arrived attired similarly. Laes thought a little sourly that the Parvian fashion simply appeared to be to use as little cloth and as much embellishment as possible. Silver belled anklets and bracelets tinkled musically as they walked. The gowns were moulded to shape their figures, leaving much of the back uncovered. High slits at both sides exposed almost their entire legs as they moved. The bosom was low, baring the tops of their breasts. All three women even had paintings on their right breast, intricate and finely edge patterns inked in a deep blue. Sula’s even went under her gown, the inking was that of a peacock and only a part of the tail was visible. It appeared to be a new style popularised by the Parvian queen. Cavil could not take his eyes off her chest. He even fingered the design right there in front of everyone and glancing at Sula’s slightly glazed eyes as he touched her, Laes could tell they were going to have a night of it. Since his rooms were directly above Cavil’s, he didn’t think he’d get much sleep tonight. 

To Laes’ shock, the dinner guest was none other than Lady Aria, from Parva, accompanied by her aide, Rove and Elke. He started as he saw them. She too seemed to recognise him, and smirked as Terel off-handedly introduced him as Laes.

“We have met before,” she held out her hand and Laes dully took it, “You sent him to accompany us to the Aevrne dam.”

“Ah yes, I hope he was of use to you.”

“No, not much,” Aria shrugged, and moved to her chair, followed by Rove who nodded at Laes.

Dinner was a long and dull affair, full of strange food items, in honour of their guest. There were some oddly shaped forks and spoons as well, that Laes realised everyone else at the table was familiar with. He wished again that he were as knowledgeable and well-versed with the world as his family. And through the first few courses, Eldrich didn’t even glance in Laes’ direction, ignoring him as he had since the moment he’d stepped in.

There was a lively and loud conversation on at the table. Laes listened half-heartedly, as initially, much of it revolved around international politics. They spent some time discussing the trouble with Marsinia. Laes was surprised to learn their relations were still quite sour. He noticed that Eldrich deftly turned the conversation away towards other matters.

Tiaana asked about the birth of the Parvian queen’s second daughter. Parva like Marsinia had a matriarchal rule, with the crown passing to the eldest female in the line.

The next course was brought out then, a strange thick soup, a light blue in colour. Laes stared down at it, he’d never known food to look blue! Unless perhaps it had blueberries, he wondered, but it seemed to be a savoury. 

The conversation continued around him. He started as he heard the subject they were discussing. They were actually talking of the selection of the Parvian royal catamite! Laes had never thought he’d hear the term being bandied so freely in polite company, even in a place that was as open as Varanya.

He was hearing of the custom of the Parvian royal catamite for the first time, and as he heard the knowledgeable remarks of others around him, he realised again how little he knew of the world around him. In Parva, he learnt, listening to the others, the queen and the prince consort, once they had ensured succession by having at least two daughters of their own, were free to, and in fact by the societal mores there, expected even to bring into their bedchamber a younger man, capable of satisfying both husband and wife. 

“The process seems to be taking quite long this time,” Adrian queried.

“Queen Aleyka is quite insistent that the young man have endowments similar to Prince Evein’s,” Aria smirked, “And the prince is substantially well-endowed.”

“And,” Rove added in, “He also desires one who can ...ah... accommodate his endowments.”

“And we do mean his physical endowments,” Aria said after a pause. The others laughed.

Laes flushed as he heard her speak. How crass and bawdy her words sounded and how terrible it was to see his family and the king’s family listening so avidly to such obscene talk, and even participating in the conversation! 

“I have heard it tell she has shared measures of those endowments,” Sula whispered salaciously, and Tiaana giggled in response.

“I have heard that too. Is it true, Aria?” she asked, almost eagerly.

“She has indeed,” Aria said.

“What are they?” Lya asked recklessly. Laes tried not to frown, hoping that now at least either of the elder men at the table would halt such talk. Surely Lya was too young to ask such a question. And yet, as he saw the way she turned her sparkling eyes towards Anders, he realised perhaps not. The inked design on her breast was of a dragon in flight, a common Parvian motif. It was also the emblem of Anders’ flying corps.

“I do not think this is the right place to discuss such a detail,” Rove cut in pleasantly.

“Of course,” Lya agreed.

“I am charged by her to seek a suitable individual in Varland as well,” Aria said suddenly, “Ah, do not frown so, Adrian, or you Terel. You lot do not like to talk of men bedding each other but you must accept it happens enough within Varanya, and far more often that you would think, outside.”

“What do you seek?” Cavil asked curiously, “Aside from the endowments that you will not talk of.”

“Well, he must be of good birth and breeding, of course. And naturally not too high born given that he will remain only a catamite. It is customary in Parva to seek a lord’s baseborn children, some of them are fairly comely and many have the virtue of a fair education as well...else the younger sons of some our lords, incapable of little else in life.”

The next course came in then and the conversation broke up as people spoke in small groups now. Tiaana, Anders and Eldrich were still talking to Elke, about the matchmaking process.

“You could try Laes,” Tiaana said suddenly to Elke, “He is a younger son, and incapable of much.”

“He is in the army, is he not?” Aria asked, and Laes indignantly wondered if they had forgotten he sat right there.

“Yes, but he’s just a guardsman. One needs very little by way of talent or brain or industry to become one. They just promoted him after two years.” Tiaana spoke up.

“And he beds men and women both,” Anders added, “And he is even the mare.”

Eldrich coughed softly, “There still lies the matter of the endowments,” he said.

Laes let out a sound of distress, trying to get them to stop. How could they? And in front of guests! He looked towards Terel and Cavil, imploring them to halt this but Terel was shaking his head in amusement and Cavil was busy talking to Sula.

“I have had the opportunity to view Master Laes’ ... assets,” Elke said in a rather dismissive tone, “As has Lady Aria.”

Here Lady Aria stopped her own conversation with King Adrian and looked at them and nodded, “I have indeed. And they are quite wanting. He is inadequate for our purposes.”

Laes felt his face turn warm, as that brought the rest of the conversation at the table to a halt. The others were all amused and curious. Terel looked shocked.

“How did that happen?” Anders asked, laughing, “Whatever was Laes doing, displaying his ...assets... to you?”

And then to Laes’ humiliation, she related the story of their ride and his punishment. She described his punishment particularly in intimate details. Unlike most Varanyans, Aria and her fellow countrymen had little modesty in matters of the bed. 

“It is a method we use with recalcitrant horses,” she said, “You push a piece of shaven ginger into their arse. It stings you see, and the sensation I am told is akin to having a fire lit down there.”

“Oh my!” Verne spoke up, shuddering a little.

They all turned to stare at Laes in shock and he ducked his face in misery. 

“He’s used to things in his arse,” Tiaana said crudely, “He’s out getting fucked most evenings!”

“We used a piece of ginger so wide and so long,” she showed the dimensions with her hand, “With our horses the pieces are larger. And for his little cock, we used slivers.”

“We required a very small piece for that,” Elke added, “And then we punished him.”

They listened fascinated.

“Well!” Terel almost exploded, “I can’t say I expected better from you, Laes,” he told his red-faced and unhappy son, “Such unbecoming behaviour seems a matter of course for you! And to think you could not even discharge your duty of accompanying them adequately!”

“He was most insistent I punish him myself, Terel,” Aria said apologetically.

“I wish you had disclosed this to me, Aria,” Terel said, “As for you Laes, hiding this from me or from Cavil who charged you to this duty – that is inexcusable. You will be punished for this now.”

“Do continue, Lady Aria,” Eldrich said smoothly, his eyes shining with laughter. Laes gave him a hurt look but he simply smirked at him. “You said you had the opportunity to observe Laes and it is clear you find him lacking.”

“Certainly,” she said, “His cockling...”

This resulted in a burst of laughter. To Laes’ misery, Terel and Adrian also joined in the laughter. Now over their initial shock both men seemed to be deriving much amusement from his plight.

“I translate badly,” Aria said, also laughing, “In Parva a cock of such a dimension would be called so. It is like a little duck is a duckling, for example?”

“His arse was satisfactory,” Elke said, “The ginger was not a small piece and he took it in easily enough. I daresay he could certainly have Prince Evein in him, with very little effort. However, the queen and king will both seek a catamite who is visibly well-endowed. On that front, Master Laes is a little lacking even when he is at his – his longest. I fear they may see him as unable to – well, deliver. ” Elke giggled as she spoke.

“He is not very comely either,” Aria said, again behaving as though Laes were not just down the table from her, his ears burning with shame, his food left uneaten on his plate, “The royal catamite has to be a handsome one, pleasing to the eye when bare.”

“Laes is so pale. And thin too,” Elke added on, “And his body... it is unimpressive.”

“Yes, he’s scrawny, isn’t he?” Anders smirked.

“ Yes, and he has such coarse, dark hair on his chest and stomach...,” Elke said, “Not a fair sight on one so pale.”

“And his nipples are as large as coins. I would have thought he was feeding!” Aria interspersed, “If they were to be treated with fernberry bark extracts, they might even swell like a young woman’s.”

Laes felt their eyes on him, and covered his chest with his hand, in confusion. He’d worn a thin cotton shirt, and he wondered if his nipples were visible through it.

They continued on that vein a while, unmindful of Laes’ presence right there. Elke even imitated the way he had reacted, making strange guttural sounds. Laes wondered if he really did sound so bawdy. Tiaana and Anders added on, their blue eyes bright with irrepressible laughter.

When Laes looked to Eldrich for support, the older man was trying hard to repress his laughter and finally turned away to talk to Rove. The needling continued to the next course when finally first the talk stopped as they ate, and then the subject changed. But Laes could barely eat. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He felt humiliated and upset. 

Laes was quite thankful when the dinner finally ended. He didn’t stay back with the other men as they smoked and had coffee in the music room, nor did he come down later when the women joined them there. He could hear the music and laughter in his rooms, where he sat and wept for a good hour or so, remembering the looks of shock and surprise and disgust the others had given him. They had even smirked at his discomfort, even Eldrich who had laughed quite openly when Elke had imitated the sounds he made.

As expected, Terel had him punished the next day, Tiaana saw to it early the next morning, giving him thirty strikes on his buttocks with a riding crop, fifteen for his transgression and fifteen for trying to hide it. His arse hurt all day and it was a trial to focus on his duties.

Laes’ buttocks were still sore and bruised when Eldrich sent a note to him during afternoon tea, accepting his last apology and summoning him to his house in the evening after supper. The note sent all the pain and anguish flying from Laes’ mind for a few moments. All he could think of was Eldrich fucking him later in the evening. It was only when he reached the house that he remembered the way Eldrich had behaved. But, he thought, if that conversation last night had been enough to get Eldrich to end their silly argument, he’d gladly live through a few more of those.

***

Laes was left well-pleasured but even more sore after his night with Eldrich. The older man decided to experiment with ginger that night, following the description given by Aria and Elke. 

“When Elke described the sounds you made, I thought it sounded so much like the ones you make in bed, when I have my cock deep inside you! I’m going to fuck you with the ginger first and then with my cock, and you’d better sound happier with my cock,” he said, smirking down at Laes as he lay squirming in anticipation on the bed, completely naked, his wrists bound to the headboard.

He had taken a much larger piece of ginger though and a very oddly shaped one, peeled it and pushed it inside Laes with little ceremony. And then used thin slivers in Laes’ cock. He even rubbed his gingered hands over the marks on Laes arse. Laes hissed and moaned as his arse and cock burnt all the way deep inside, the misshapen edges seemingly touched him everywhere! As the effect began to wear off though, his moans turned to long pleasured ones and Eldrich smirked. The ginger was, as promised, replaced with Eldrich’s cock. He was in one of his rougher moods but Laes welcomed the swift thrusting, and the swollen balls slapping against his bruised mounds. They had a few days of missed encounters to make up for! He gave in to his needs, crying out long and deep with each thrust.

Eldrich fucked Laes twice more that night, finally driving him into an exhausted half-sleep. Eldrich wouldn’t let him sleep though. He persisted on asking him about the trip to the Aevrne dam and what they’d seen and the questions they’d asked. Laes thought it odd but was too tired to protest and so answered as best as he could. Thankfully, Eldrich told him to spend the night there and leave at sunrise instead. 

“I’m told there are other things one can use like ginger,” Eldrich told a half-asleep Laes, “I am sure our friend Liame would know.”

***

Eldrich it appeared maintained a healthy correspondence with Liame on many matters including those of the bed. He did not know thought that Laes and Eldrich were together. True to his word, Eldrich sent Liame a short letter requesting advice. With the new mail trains running to Aene, correspondence was quite easy and swift and he had a detailed response in a few days, as well as some packages that arrived at intervals over the next few days.

Based on Liame’s instructions, Eldrich tried quite a few new things on Laes, not all of which were pleasant though. He had Mrs. Berg make a paste of fresh ginger pounded with finely pasted nettle leaves, cinnamon bark, arnica, clove, aniseed and a generous portion of powdered fernberry root, and then made Berg bring him some sandpaper from his worktable saying he wanted to smooth out a small bird carving he was working on.

He placed the bowl of paste and the sandpaper on the mantle and shoved Laes against the wall, tying his hands to the cloak hanger. He then slid his hand into Laes’ loosened trousers, smirking as his hand came in contact with the hardening flesh there. He tugged the bindings open and pulled his under pants down till they rested on his upper thighs, baring his crotch to his gaze. Laes’ semi-aroused cock spilled out, wet and partly swollen; a tiny droplet of semen gleaming from the tip.

Eldrich undid Laes’ tunic, letting it fall open and then pushed his vest up, bunching it at his shoulders, baring the chest and stomach now. He stepped back and smirked at the younger man. Laes blushed under his scrutiny. He could see himself in the mirror opposite. He looked so disgustingly wanton, he knew, with his clothes pulled aside to reveal his most intimate parts. 

“You are such an odd little thing,” Eldrich mused, “With your little cockling and your big nipples.” 

Laes flushed at the words. Eldrich had never had cause to comment on his chest until Aria had mentioned it. Eldrich tugged at Laes’ right nipple twisting it in his knuckles till the younger man hissed. The swollen flesh was hard and dark now, the tip erect under Eldrich’s thumbnail, pressed into the soft flesh.

He flicked it and smirked as Laes let out a soft cry.

“Do you like this?” he said softly, as he began toying with Laes’ left nipple, “You like this don’t you? To be touched here?” Eldrich sounded smug and satisfied, “You’re already hard and I haven’t even touched your little cock.”

He dragged the sandpaper over the nub. Laes whimpered, as the rough surface abraded his sensitive skin. Eldrich pressed it down flat, his palm over it and begin to rotate the heel of his hand.

“Aaaaahhhhhhh...,” Laes couldn’t help but scream.

Eldrich placed another sheet of sandpaper over his left nipple. “Does it hurt?” He smirked.

“Y-yes...”

“Should I rub it harder?”

“Y-y-yesss....”

He scraped at Laes’ nipples until they were tender and swollen but hard. Laes gave into the overwhelming sensation and moaned. He felt his knees buckle and his head roll back, but the bindings on his wrist held him back. His trousers had slipped to his ankles now.

“Unnnhhhh.... unnhhh...” he moaned as his arousal grew harder with each scrape.

“N-no more... no more...” he moaned but kept thrusting forward into Eldrich’s touch.

When the fingers moved away, removing the sandpaper, Laes actually let out a needy cry.

“I thought you wanted me to stop,” Eldrich said in amusement. Laes shook his head. It was embarrassing but he needed to feel Eldrich’s hands on him so much! “I thought I could concentrate on your cockling instead,” he offered.

“Oh – oh yes,” Laes gasped.

“Look at you,” Eldrich smirked, “How hard you are,” he palmed Laes’ cock, pressing his thumb against the slit. With his free hand, he picked up a thin wire and dipped it into the past Mrs. Berg had provided, coating it completely. And then, holding Laes’ cock in place, he inserted the wire into his slit.

Laes shuddered and let out some more cries.

“I told Mrs. Berg this was for my horse to reduce a mild swelling in his foreleg. I hope it won’t reduce anything here, you are small enough down here as it is!” Eldrich joked, as he continued pushing it in carefully.

Laes might have replied but the various ingredients made themselves felt and all he could do was groan. His knees buckled again and he hung on, his cock erect and tight around the wire, a thin sliver of seed trickling out.

Eldrich then parted his buttocks and used a narrow spoon to line his passage with the paste. Suddenly Laes felt like his entire lower body was aflame.

“Ahhhh....” he yowled again, “Ahhh...it burns... haaahhhh...”

“You can piss it out later,” Eldrich assured him.

Through half-lidded eyes he watched Eldrich pick up a thick wooden phallus with an intricately carved surface, a gift from Liame. It was made of a special type of wood that was easy to carve and porous enough to absorb any liquid, he’d written. Laes understood now why he’s written that, as he watched Eldrich coat it generously with the paste, letting it seep in through the latticed texture. His arse twitched at the thought of that inside his already smouldering arse.

Eldrich shoved the prepared phallus into Laes’ tight passage. The younger man could do little other than howl in pain, as he pushed it deeper and deeper into him, until it was completely inside, the broad base, resting at his entrance the paste seeping into his sensitive inner walls.

“Aaahhhh.....ahhhh.....unhhh....hurts.... haaa...haaaahhh.... hurtsss.... uhuhuhu...”

He arched up , lifting his buttocks a little wanting the phallus to come out and yet at the same time hoping it would stay in. Eldrich secured it in place with a belt, looped into a ring carved at its base. 

And then Eldrich straightened scooped some more ginger and spice paste in a thin spoon and spread it over Laes’ sensitised and scraped nipples.

“Haaaa....ahhhh....,” Laes screamed in shock, as his chest seemed to be aflame.

“It might reduce these a bit,” Eldrich said.

“Th-that hurts... ohhh... it burns... ohhh...” he whimpered, tears trickling down his eyes. His hard cock would have sagged were it not so fully plugged. The burn reduced to a tingle, and Laes found himself able to straighten up a little. Eldrich waited patiently.

Once Laes had recovered somewhat, he placed the sandpaper on his nubs again.

“N-no ... please,” Laes whimpered fearfully, “H-hurts...” He didn’t know where the sensations were hitting him from, his cock, arse and nipples were all afire.

“Sshhh... you’ll love it...”

Laes’ cries died down to soft whimpers, as Eldrich held the abrasive sheets against his breasts. Then he tied a strip of thick, silken cloth, a bright purple in colour around his chest, keeping the sandpaper lodged against his nubs. He wound it a few times, and then pinned it in place

“You look like you’re wearing a brassiere,” Eldrich laughed. Laes was in too much of a state to think of feeling embarrassed by the comparison.

Eldrich used up the entire paste. He first used some to line Laes’ lips and then it into his mouth, coating his teeth and gums. It was bitter and a little hot, with the characteristic aftertaste of the fernberry root. He then used the rest to coat the outside of Laes’ cock and balls. 

He left Laes there, bound to the cloak hanger and walked away whistling.

“That was tiring,” he said over his shoulder, “I’m going to have a nap. I’ll let you out when I wake up.”

“Wh-what ... if... you ...dun... huhhh...” Laes blubbed.

“Well, then Berg or his wife will let you loose next morning,” Eldrich said, laughing loudly, ignoring Laes’ panicked cries.

Laes could feel the paste working into every sensitive part of his body, burning him inside and outside. But it wasn’t just pain he felt, the spices and the fernberry roots left him with an aching need for more and he actually welcomed the feel of the phallus within him, snug and tight. He clenched his arse around it, and moaned. Then he squirmed, from chest to crotch, trying to dislodge the chest bindings so that the sandpaper would move, letting out a deep sigh when it did, scraping his nipples with the paste.

By the time Eldrich returned, Laes was a gibbering mess. When he was free, the cock wire as well as the phallus and the chest bindings and sandpaper removed and hands, he fell to his knees, and palmed his crotch with one hand and his chest with the other, stroking and rubbing himself, seeking to ease the agony inside but failing. He rubbed his cock and nipples with his own seed, seeking just anything soft there. Eldrich watched him a few minutes and then sighed.

“I guess I might have overused the paste, a mite, yes? Well, he’s sent a cure for that as well. I’ll get some now. You – you go on and take care of yourself like that... or perhaps piss it out?”

Laes managed to make it to the privy, kicking off his trousers and underpants. His bladder was full by now and he pissed long. It hurt at first as the warm fluid trickled out of his well-used cock, but it did help after. He used the bathing chamber to wash the paste off his nipples crying as they felt raw and painful to touch now. He tried to wash his arse but his hands still hurt and he could barely manage to reach between his legs and splash some water there.

Eldrich returned with the cooling paste, a mixture of mint and calendula. 

“It’s not as smooth as the other one,” he frowned, “Mrs. Berg is asleep so I used a pestle to make it. Isn’t it fortunate I had all the ingredients brought over today?”

Laes was leaning against the door to the bathing chamber, exhausted, clad in nothing but his open shirt. Eldrich applied the paste on his nipples and cock and bollocks. Laes had been a little terrified when even this paste had an initial burn but then it actually turned to cold and he sighed a little as he felt it act on him. 

For Laes’ arse, Eldrich made him crouch on all four on the floor. He applied the on mix his cock and inserted into Laes’ burning passage. The sensation of the hot and cold burn sent both men scrabbling on the floor from the sheer sensation, Eldrich too shouting in pleasure as the pastes worked on his cock inside the tightness of Laes’ arse.

***

The next evening, Eldrich was actually a little too sore from the cooling paste to fuck Laes. And Laes himself had been tired and hurt enough to have called in sick. He stayed in bed, bundled under the blankets, in case any of his family came to ask him how he felt, but nobody came by. Eldrich had given him some more of the cooling paste and he applied that in all his intimate parts, blushing as he thought of their play the previous night.

***

The day after that, Laes had recovered well enough, but Eldrich was not free, for it was the evening of the masked winter ball in the palace, hosted by Verne. It was held to signal the start of the midwinter festivities. Laes had not been invited but like many of the people in the city was quite excited about it and asked Eldrich many questions about the food and the decorations. Eldrich had been disinclined to go, and had been quite rude to Laes when he’d asked about it.

Now though, Eldrich had decided he would attend. That morning he cornered Laes when he came by to the palace with some notes for Verne from Cavil. He fondled Laes nipples through his uniform shirt, unbuttoning it to examine them.

“Are they still as large as coins? Did the paste not reduce their size?” he joked.

“N-no... please... I have to...”

“Oh good, so your cock is not any smaller is it? Some of these things work after a few hours, after all?” he palmed Laes cock through his trousers.

“P-please not today. It’s still stinging a little and ...ahhh....” Laes moaned. It did hurt, especially when the stiff cotton of his underpants and vest brushed his skin.

“I’ll give you something to make you more comfortable,” Eldrich promised him.

“Y-you could fuck me though... that...that doesn’t sting so much...” Laes said blushing, “I – I missed being with you yesterday.”

“I have another idea for that,” Eldrich said his eyes gleaming, “Come by the palace in the evening. If anyone asks, tell them you have to loan me something, say the mask for the dance.”

***

Laes slipped into Eldrich’s chambers in the palace, as instructed, as discreetly as he could. Eldrich looked even more handsome than ever, and very elegant in his full formal attire with his jacket and silk shirt and perfectly fitted trousers and gleaming boots. He was in the process of doing up his cravat, when Laes knocked.

He gave him some wine, and continued to arrange his cravat. Laes sipped the wine slowly; it felt very strong. He looked around the bedchamber curiously. He hadn’t been here in a while; most of his work took him only to Eldrich’ study or the attached antechamber that Eldrich used for sleeping alone or with his guests. The bed here was massive and Laes wondered how it would feel to be fucked in it by Eldrich, dressed as he was now. If he could unfasten just his trousers and briefs, Laes could get onto the bed on all fours, or perhaps lie facedown, or on his back.

“Do you bring a mask?” Eldrich asked, cutting into his pleasant thoughts. Laes nodded.

They were interrupted by another knock on the outer door that led to the study. Eldrich frowned at the interruption. He sent Laes off to his antechamber with another glass of wine, and then as an afterthought handed him the entire bottle. Laes pouted at him.

“I need to look at some paperwork quickly. Keep yourself quiet in there and I promise I have a few fine surprises for you.”

When Eldrich returned, and tugged Laes back into his bedchamber, the younger man had finished most of the bottle. He thought Eldrich looked even more handsome now and told him as much.

“I hope you’re not drunk!” Eldrich said impatiently.

“No,” Laes said after a pause, “Just a little happy.”

“I can’t fuck you today,” Eldrich said, “We’re late already and I don’t want to ruin these clothes. But I do have an idea for later. Would you open that box there? Liame has sent something that I think will be very exciting to try.”

“Oh?” Laes asked doubtfully, but opened the box nonetheless. He took out the wooden item inside and stared at it in surprise.

It was made of a very light wood. On a flat round surface a few inches in diameter, there was a small cylinder about an inch in height. Within it there was a set of four thin, long cylinders, varying in length from about two to six or so inches. Each cylinder had a tiny ball like tip and some had small round or diamond shaped protrusions along the length of them.

“It’s a clockwork toy of sorts,” Eldrich told him. Taking it from Laes, he inserted a key into a hole in the base, wound it up and then set it back down, “Now, watch.”

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the winding sent the cylinders rotating slowly. After a while, some continued to wind around, rising out of their spring base so that their height increased, the ball like tip poking up suddenly. In the others, the small attachments alongside, began to shoot out in little stems, slowly in some cases, swiftly in others. 

“It’s like a cuckoo clock,” Eldrich said, “And it’s to go inside your pretty little arse.”

“Oh!” Laes stared spellbound at the device. The revolving cylinders made him feel a little dizzy but he’d finally managed to curb the spinning in his head. It was a very clever device and he knew only Liame could have designed such an interesting item.

“Hurry up, and prepare yourself, will you?” Eldrich instructed, pointing at some saddle oil on the table. He was adjusting his jacket. Laes obeyed immediately. He removed his trousers and underpants and swiftly and leaning against the table, hurriedly oiled himself. He felt quite excited, and while a part of him was wary about the strange device and its working, a larger part of him wanted nothing more than to feel that deep inside.

Eldrich inserted the mechanism inside his stretched and oiled passage. The contraption went in easily, slender as it was, a bright silken ribbon tied to the base was then brought through his legs and bound at the base of his cock. Laes giggled a little Eldrich wound up the mechanism.

“This will last about a minute. Let’s see how it works.”

It was the most glorious two minutes Laes had experienced. The mechanism moved within him, the cylinders rotating, and the little balls and diamonds pressed into him at intervals. Their surfaces were uneven so that the press against his inner walls was even more enticing. Laes almost whined when it wound down to a stop. He no longer felt bad about missing out on the ball.

“I’ll keep it for longer later,” Eldrich told him, “Now for your second surprise. Are you still sore here?” Eldrich cupped his cock with one hand and stroked his nipples with another.

“Y-yes,” Laes said and ducked his head in embarrassment.

“These underclothes of your won’t help,” Eldrich said, “They’re frayed and stiff. Take them off. Take off all your clothes.”

Laes stared at him open mouthed.

“Go on. I have some new underthings for you to wear.” He handed Laes a small bundle of cloth, a light rose pink in colour.

There were two items, a pair of briefs and a vest, made of satin. The briefs were quite small.

“These are small,” Laes said frowning.

“You won’t need larger,” Eldrich said.

He pulled them on. They covered his crotch and buttocks and rested on his upper thigh. The vests too were satin. They came down to his midriff, showing a tiny glimpse of his flat stomach and navel. Eldrich had him lean over the table again, and pulling down his briefs, wound up the device again.

He kept winding it, and then finally stopped. Laes stood up, a little uncomfortably. He then pulled on his clothes.

“Well, it’s time for the ball,” Eldrich said glancing at the clock on his wall.

“I-I’ll leave then,” Laes said, still a little red-faced at the thought of the device inside him. I had not started working yet, Eldrich having made some adjustments to delay the start of the mechanism.

“Oh no. I have an invitation to the winter ball for you. You’re attending,” Eldrich told him, calmly and before Laes could respond guided him out, down the corridor into a ballroom.

“E-eldrich!” Laes almost squealed as they neared the large palace doors, “I can’t go in with – with this... there... oh dear...” The mechanism had started working, very slow but nevertheless it was moving, inside him.

“Pull on your mask and come in,” Eldrich said, impatiently, and then when Laes hesitated, he pulled the mask over his eyes and pulled him in through the doors. 

It was a huge party. The ballroom was large and there was one more like it thrown open at a higher level. Two rows of staircases led up to the higher ballroom, where p0eople had started dancing. Laes noticed his brothers and sister there and decided to stay on the lower ballroom, where the guests mostly milled around to talk.

The mechanism picked up speed ten minutes later. Laes felt almost driven out of his wits as the sensations started inside him. The cylinders started rotating slowly one by one, and just the feel of something moving so slowly inside him gave Laes shivers. He knew each cylinder would wind at a different pace, the spring holding it in place would release it slowly, until it would be thrust out of the canister. The first one inched out quickly, the thick round point pushing deeper into his passage. 

He almost gasped in midspeech as he a dull looking banker from Issoia introduced himself. Over the next ten minutes while the man droned on about interest rates and exchanges, the cylinder rotated its way up Laes’ channel, and then began winding down, its lazy spiral down also brushing his sensitive inner walls. And even as it wound down, the second cylinder spiralled up, even slower but touching him nevertheless.

And then the third one too wound up, and Laes almost clutched at a doorpost. It felt like Eldrich’s fingers did at times when he would shove them inside Laes and just play for ages, until Laes would simply come, spurting all over his stomach and groin. Except that on this occasion, he couldn’t even do that. 

The banker stopped to take a breath and Laes made hurried apologies, and moved away. He was accosted twice again, each time by Eldrich, accompanied once by the formidable duchess of Issoia who spoke to him for a full five minutes, her tone sharp and domineering as she told him of how she’d known his grandfather in his youth and Laes looked little like him. Laes listened politely knowing it would be no good to offend her. But his mind was elsewhere and she had to slap him lightly on his cheek to get him to listen to her. Eldrich stopped him again as he tried slipping away to the privy chambers. This time he brought along a visiting dignitary from Anglia and Laes knowing well the importance of trade with them stood and spoke to him. The other man was older, very handsome and most gracious, and clearly interested in Laes. He looked him up and down boldly, his eyes lingering on Laes’ crotch for a long time. His fingers stroked Laes’ gently as they shook hands, and as he spoke he touched Laes on his arm first, then his shoulder, letting his fingers brush his collarbone. He leaned forward to examine the work on Laes’ tunic, and brushed his fingers boldly over Laes’ chest, fingering his right nipple through cloth as he traced the floral pattern lightly.

“Exquisite work,” he declared, even as Laes tried not to grimace and fidget. 

“I would love to see more of it,” he added, his glance raking in all of Laes, who was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable now.

He tore away as soon as he politely could, trundling into one of the dressing rooms. He knew Eldrich followed him but he couldn’t really care. He slid his trousers down and grabbed his bound cock. The cylinders were moving in accord inside him now, their knobs circling inside him and he almost howled as he undid the bindings.

Eldrich’s hands covered his suddenly and he wept.

“P-please... please.... take it out....”

“’Do you really want me to,” Eldrich whispered in his ear. He let one hand roam up Laes body, undoing his tunic, and playing with his nipples, through the silken slip.

“Did you like feeling Captain Lake’s hands on you?” he asked as he undid the bindings on Laes’ cock..

Laes whimpered as his cock was freed and then Eldrich’s soft long fingers were running over his aching flesh. He let himself go, feeling his seed spurt into a tub of daisies lining one wall. He lost track of time as he went limp in the older man’ arms. After a while he came to. The mechanism had finished winding inside him and his cock lay limp between his legs. His lower body was coated with his sticky fluids and he felt exhausted.

“C-can I go back home now,” he whispered sleepily.

“No. There’s still two hours to go. And since you removed the bindings early you need to be punished.”

Laes looked at himself in the mirror. He lay on an expensive looking sofa, his tunic undone, trousers removed and the lacy briefs lowered. He looked wanton like an actress in any of the risqué productions in Candle Street.

“I’m putting this back inside you,” Eldrich said. 

Laes whimpered.

Eldrich coated the entire contraption with fernberry oil, and Laes’ cock twitched as he thought of the thrilling, burning sensation it would cause inside him.

“There is another key. Watch,” he told him.

The time various appendages shot out through the holes in the short, outer cylinder. They were of different shapes and sizes. There was a tiny carved bird, a pine cone, tiny balls. 

Eldrich picked Laes’ hand and ran his finger over the ball. It was burred and sent dozens of tiny pinpricks through his hand.

“Can you imagine how that will feel inside you?”

Laes let Eldrich insert it into him. He could let Eldrich do anything, he thought. He spent the next half hour in sheer misery, and was only too glad that he was in the lower ballroom away from his family and masked. Eldrich had left him here saying he had to meet people in the upper ballroom. 

Laes’ narrow passage was constantly pounded by the various appendages, some dull, some sharp. He almost gasped aloud while talking to a professor from the university. Lake came by again and this time, a little more drunk than the last, he stroked Laes’ arse admiringly. Finally out of sheer desperation, Laes sat down on one of the chairs, clutching at the arm rest. His position made him press down onto the device so that the sensations heightened, and his aching crotch tightened. He stayed there, waiting for Eldrich as instructed. 

By the time the older man returned for him, Laes was almost white faced and sweating. He grasped Eldrich’s wrist.

“P-pl-please,” he groaned, “I – n-need...”

Back in the dressing room, he almost howled as the device was pulled out, and his cock unbound. He spurted his seed on the expensive furnishing, unmindful of where the sticky liquid fell. He just seemed to go on and on. When he was done, he was exhausted and barely able to stay awake. 

“Did you like that?” Eldrich asked him, “You did, didn’t you, having that move inside you in public?”

Laes thought he might have actually been embarrassed if he hadn’t been a little drunk. But he just nodded now.

He returned home after that, too tired to stay back longer. Eldrich didn’t ask him to either, and he did seem to be busy in the upper ballroom.

***


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eldrich enjoys the winter with friends and family, while Laes realises how lonely he is. 
> 
> Warnings for rough sex and forced femdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First a huge apology for such a long wait between chapters. I was caught up with moving town and it took me a lot longer to adjust to returning to an old place.
> 
> Thank you all for your clicks and comments. I truly appreciate them. I know it's difficult and sometimes almost boring to read an angst-overload story, so I truly appreciate that you do. Rest assured, there will be some peace and calm and perhaps a gentle contentment, if not outright happiness, for dear Laes in the distant future. Sadly though he has a lot of sufferance left :(
> 
> I bring you two chapters today and I hope you continue liking to read this.

Laes woke the next day, to an incredible soreness in his lower body, but he found he didn’t mind it very much. He lay back in bed watching the early morning sun filter in through the curtains and thought back to the previous night, and how he’d attended such a public event wearing a clockwork phallus, and how it had actually worked inside him even as he stood talking to others in such a crowded room. And his underthings! The thought that he’d gone to the winter ball attired in such a fashion left him feeling incredibly ashamed and aroused all at the same time.

He went through his duties that day in a pleasant haze, his body niggling with tiny aches, especially when he sat on a hard surface, but still thrumming with secret delights and pleasures, aching for the touch of Eldrich’s hands again. He had a peaceful day at work with Anders and many of the other officers having been given a day off after the ball, for it had continued till the early hours. Laes not having been officially invited had no such excuse but he found his happiness left him feeling quite fresh. Even at home, the others had arisen late, so that Laes had little disturbance there as well. 

He had to take some papers from Cavil to Eldrich’s palace office that evening. Cavil had been quite put out when Laes had fidgeted while standing in wait for him to seal the packet of letters, but the younger man ignored the snappish comments, happy instead at a chance to visit Eldrich in his chambers. Perhaps they could sneak in a kiss while he was there. He wanted the older man to know how wonderful he felt. He had returned home to wash up and on a whim had changed into his new satin briefs. He had washed them in the morning and left them to dry. The fabric felt cold against his groin, but soft. With the other sensations assailing him the previous night, he had not quite realised just how soft the fabric was. He felt a stirring in his lower regions just from the sensation.

At the palace he was asked to wait in a small sidechamber. There were some women having a late tea in the terrace outside, he realised, including Tiaana. And they were discussing Eldrich!

“I noticed Eldrich kept disappearing,” Tiaana was saying, her laughing voice carrying through to the morning room.

“And not always with Lady Muriel,” that was Lya, “I must admit we interrupted him in one of his little trysts – in the yellow room, I believe, with the Anglian envoy’s daughter. And I noticed young Lord Teneris slipped away often too.”

Laes felt his mouth round in surprise. It was evident the women knew Eldrich lay with men as well. But as long as he lay with women as well there was no fear of him being termed a deviant, as Laes was. 

Then Mylla giggled, “Oh! I did too, I fear. He was with the Ekler twins – both brother and sister!”

“Ooohhh,” Lya squealed delightedly. “And do you know I believe he was with someone in the lower ballroom as well. Captain Lake told me. And he’s still in bed. He returned home in the morning!” she added conspiratorially.

“Well, he did look quite happy didn’t he? He could do with some cheer, the dear boy. He’s been so upset, what with Heth and all. I hate seeing him so unhappy and morose always.” Sula said.

Laes bit back a cry at that. He knew deep inside that Eldrich still missed but Heth. He felt even more determined to ensure he made Eldrich happy.

Laes would have continued listening, his face reddening, but just then, one of the palace pages came by to tell him to go on up to Eldrich’s office. 

The prince was still in bedclothes, and clearly still in his cups after the previous night. His hair was in disarray, and his lush lips were reddened and bruised. He looked annoyed at being awoken but was still every bit as handsome as ever. He wore only a thin nightshirt and seemed unaffected by the cold winter air. Laes handed him the papers, and waited as he leafed through them, yawning as he did so. 

“You can leave now,” Eldrich said grumpily, still going through the documents, “There’s no reply for these. Go run off and guard the guns or whatever it is you do.”

“It’s evening. And I have tomorrow off,” Laes said, blushing a little. The clockwork toy lay on Eldrich’s table, looking quite innocuous. 

“Oh good for you,” Eldrich groused. He let out an impatient sigh and shoved the papers into their packet again. He then rose from bed stumbling as he did so. Laes rushed forward to help him, grimacing slightly as he took in the smell off stale alcohol and sweat and sex.

“Ugh…. Go away, Lissie. ‘M too tired.” Eldrich murmured.

“Let me help you,” Laes said and took the papers from his hand.

Eldrich grabbed his hand, his movements suddenly fluid, “Keep your prying little eyes off those!” he snapped.

“I – I was just trying to help,” Laes said, hurt by the angry move.

Eldrich snorted, and walking into his adjoining study, stuffed the sheaf into a wooden cabinet that he locked with a numbered key. 

There was a knock on the door just then, and when Laes opened it, the kitchen staff brought in Eldrich’s tea and spread it on a small table by the window – fragrant cakes, sandwiches and cheese. There was also a message from the king requesting Eldrich to meet him in his study for a cup of wine before supper.

“Ugh, I’ll have to get ready,” Eldrich shuddered when the servants had left.

“Let me help you,” Laes offered.

Eldrich grunted in response but let him lead him to his bathing chamber where a steaming and fragrant hot bath had already been drawn. Eldrich sat heavily on the stone ledge, and stared morosely out of a window. Laes undid the nightshirt and then wiped down Eldrich’s chilled, bare skin with wet towels soaked in the hot, herb-laden water. A subtle scent of geranium and spice wafted to his nose. Faint marks on Eldrich’s collarbone, chest and hips and dry white streaks around his groin and upper thighs clearly evidenced how he’d spent the previous evening. 

And it hadn’t been with him, Laes thought, pursing his lips in unhappiness.

“I – I had a wonderful time last night,” he said tentatively. Eldrich seemed quite off-kilter today. He’d clearly drunk too much. 

As his fingers slowed over Eldrich’s lower belly, inching towards the clump of blonde hair and the tempting column of flesh below, the older man let out a harsh laugh, grasping Laes’ wrist.

“You want to get fucked, don’t you? That’s why you’re here, little slut. The papers were an excuse, I suppose, hussy Lissie, up to your usual slutty ways aren’t you?”

Laes flushed, gasping in shock.

“You’re ugly. And I’m tired. Have a hunt with Muriel and Teneris and Ti and Eon early tomorrow. Not wasting my time fucking you. Had plenty….Had Teneris last evening in the gardens - he’s very inventive, doesn’t need toys… and doesn’t act the coy damsel like you, fucks like a man. Has a cock like a man too!”

“I – I don’t…” Laes floundered, embarrassed by the openness of Eldrich’s words.

“And then Muriel this morning, here in my bed. On those sheets you keep staring at so wantonly. She belongs there. She’s not a needy little whore like you.”

“You need to get ready,” Laes tried ignoring the drunken barbs. Eldrich had clearly tried to drown his unhappiness in drink and sex the previous night but it hadn’t worked, “They’ll be serving dinner soon. And I need to take those papers back.”

“The toy wasn’t good enough for you, was it?” Eldrich drawled.

“I – uh…” Laes bit his lip. Eldrich spoke the truth, he would much rather have had the older man inside him.

“You liked all those men putting their hands all over you didn’t you, slut? Your little cockling was nearly bursting out of your pretty underthings.”

“Y-you were with others too,” Laes said miserably, “We haven’t bedded together the last three days!”

“Jealous are you?” Eldrich laughed harshly, “Get out. I need to piss and I can wash myself. Unless you’d like me to piss on you again.”

Laes flushed wishing Eldrich hadn’t remembered that awful incident – the way he’d behaved with Laes the last time he’d been drunk and had had a full bladder. It would have been far better if Eldrich had forgotten about that incident where he had first pissed on Laes and then fucked him and then told him off in such awful tones! Eldrich moved towards the privy enclosure, still a little unsteady and Laes reluctantly stepped out to wait for him. When Eldrich was done, he strode out, glistening wet and completely naked. 

Laes couldn’t help but stare at him; he looked magnificent, even in his sleepy, inebriated state. His cock hung half-aroused from between his legs, the blond thatch of hair, curling in small ringlets above it. Laes couldn’t help it, he let out a soft moan, his gaze transfixed on the glorious body. Eldrich snorted at the tea spread, but picked up a sandwich. He smirked at Laes’ open-mouthed expression.

“All right, I suppose I could fuck you now. I’m a little bored. Take your clothes off.” He told Laes, as he munched through his food.

The younger man stared at him in surprise. Eldrich waved a hand imperiously at Laes, snapping his fingers, “Go on quick-quick, guardsman! The evening off is from your guard duty. Not off your whoring surely?”

Laes tore his gaze away from Eldrich’s crotch at those words.

“How many men did you let into your arse last night, eh?”

“Wh-what? No – no one… there was no one…!”

“Saw you run off early enough! Went and spread your legs at The Nest, did you?”

“I went home!” Laes cried out, shocked. “And I don’t whore myself,” he insisted stubbornly, “And I have you now, I don’t need – ow!” he let out the cry as Eldrich tackled him to the ground. 

Even in his partly addled state, the prince was strong enough to overpower Laes, leaving him sprawled on the floor. He shoved Laes onto his back and undid his trousers, smirking as the younger man’s hardening cock was outlined against the flimsy fabric of the tiny briefs. He stroked the satin covered crotch. The younger man whimpered at the touch, and then flushed when the fabric began to dampen as his cock reacted.

“I forgot to tell you, I have quite a few more of these for you. There’s light green lavender, peach….,” he said, and tugged the damp briefs down. Laes’ arousal sprang free, semen trickling down the tip. He blushed, humiliated at the thought of how easily his need manifested itself.

“Well?” Eldrich asked conversationally, and yanked the ties of Laes’ shirt open, baring his chest, “What do you like better inside you? The toy or me?”

“I – I - ,” Laes felt quite confused. Eldrich seemed very moody today, fluctuating between deriding him and wanting him; it worried Laes.

The prince leaned over his half naked frame, his crotch brushing painfully against Laes’ erect shaft. Eldrich’s hands moved to his torso now, the long fingers curling around each of his nipples. He let out an involuntary moan as the sensitive nubs were pinched into achingly stiff mounds, and a thumbnail flicked against each, sending an exquisite spark of pain through his breast.

“H-have to return,” he tried gasping out. One hand left off his chest and slid to his groin and he moaned again, raising his hips eagerly to meet the questing touch.

“Look at that! Your little cockling is all wet and eager. Should I take care of it?”

Laes whimpered, bucking his hips up, as Eldrich’s hand stroked his hip bone slowly.

“Tell me!” A thumbnail flicked his left nipple again, while long fingers hovered over his straining cock. 

“Y-you…” Laes whimpered as the fingers raked through the coarse tuft of hair at his groin, still drifting around his stiffness. 

“Say it!” Eldrich hissed, sliding his hand below Laes’ penis and grasping his balls. With his other hand, he grabbed Laes’ wrists and held them in place above his head, “Beg me to touch your cockling now…”

Laes’ eyes widened, but he complied.

“P-please…touch me…”

The stroking motion on his balls was driving him wild. “Your cock-ling… say it…”

“P-please…t-touch m-my cock…” Laes couldn’t believe he was actually uttering the word, begging like this.

“Your cock-ling. Say the word, now!”

“Please touch my cockling… ahhh…unnhhh….” Laes moaned from deep within as Eldrich’s hand wrapped around his arousal, stroking and squeezing. To his utter mortification, he came almost immediately, in a rush, letting out a long, guttural wail, his release spilling onto his crotch and upper thighs. Laes lay back, exhausted, staring up at Eldrich through dazed eyes.

Eldrich smirked, “That was easy,” he drawled, and wiped his hand against Laes’ face, coating his cheek with the stickiness. Laes blushed. Eldrich moved down to his chest, coating his nipples with the residue. 

“Right, I’m going to fuck you now,” Eldrich announced.

Fingers slid into his arse, two or perhaps there were three of them at a time, shoved swiftly into his channel, the passage dry and sore but loosened by the exertions of the previous evening. Laes spread his legs part, lifting his hips to pull the fingers in deeper, unmindful of the twinges of pain racking his lower body. Eldrich leaned his head forward and licked his swollen left nipple.

“Been so long,” Laes murmured, “W-want y-you – in-inside… unnhhh…” Eldrich’s fingers twisted, crooking inside him, brushing his most intimate part. Sharp teeth scraped the stiff peak of his nipple. Waves of pleasure trilled through Laes.

“Ooohhh… yeeesss….” It seemed the fingers stroked inside him forever. His body reacted immediately, thrusting up, his erection aching to spend itself. Eldrich leaned his head and bit his nub. 

“Aaiii….” Laes moaned again, partly in pain, and then as Eldrich’s fingers continued stroking deep inside him, turning to pleasure again, “Aaahhh….” 

He must sound so awful and wanton, he thought somewhere at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t help it. His body ached for these touches from Eldrich and these reactions were drawn out from his innermost self.

Eldrich pulled his fingers out suddenly, and lifted his head, leaving Laes completely bereft of his touch. The prince sat back on his haunches, between Laes’ legs. Laes blinked his eyes open, groaning from a sense of loss and sheer need. His hands were free now but as he moved to grasp his swollen member, Eldrich struck them aside. The cold evening air from the open window hit his bare front. Eldrich’s body filled the space and Laes moaned in despair.

“Beg me to fuck you with my cock,” he smirked, resting his hand on Laes’ groin and pressing slightly, “I like it when you beg, like the needy whore you are.”

Laes’ colour deepened.

“F-fuck me…. With – your – cock….p-please,” he begged softly. 

Eldrich turned him over. The stone floor was cold and hard under his half-naked body. He felt his hips lifted higher, and his legs spread apart. Eldrich entered him swiftly, sliding his hands under his body, pinching his nipples again, as he did so, sharp nails digging into the hard but sensitive skin. Laes grunted as the older man shoved his cock into him, filling his dry passage completely, and immediately began pumping into him swiftly, the thrusts deep and quick, sending his lower body rocking against the floor.

“Ooohhhh…. Aaahhhh…. Unnnhhhh….” Laes moaned in pleasure as his body was filled and pounded into, welcoming the sensations despite the pain. It felt so much better than anything else he had had inside him! He slid a hand towards his own shaft, stroking himself in time with the thrusts. 

“Aaahhh…. hhaaaahhh ….,” Laes continued moaning wantonly.

Eldrich grunted in his ears, soft, animalistic sounds that began to give way to gasping sobs as his thrusts turned erratic and then suddenly stilled. He came inside Laes, filling the stretched and sore passage with his searing hot stickiness. Laes let himself go, allowing his release to spill into his hands, his fingers still clutched around his length. Eldrich continued to pound inside him, slower now but his shaft still thick and swollen. The warm liquid oozed out onto Laes’ thighs and the floor, until Eldrich’s grunts finally came down to soft moans.

“H- Heth….” Eldritch wept as he slumped over Laes’ back, his cock now limp inside him. And then he collapsed over Laes. The younger man felt wetness on the back of his shoulder and neck, the soft gulping gasps echoing in his ears, as the man he loved wept miserably for another.

Laes left after that, for Eldrich had to go down to dinner. He seemed a little more cheerful now though. Laes walked slowly out. His lower body felt so sore! The girls were till out in the terrace. 

“Eldrich spends far too time at his town house in the market now,” Tiaana was speaking. 

“He meets a boy there. Mrs. Berg said so,” Lya sounded disapproving.

“Well, yes. At least we won’t have to look out for any bastard children,” Tiaana said drily and they all laughed.

Laes coloured.

“Where did he find him from?”

“Mrs. Berg doesn’t approve of the creature at all,” Sula said sighing heavily, “From the markets or some trading outpost she believes. Has the most appalling accent. And not even good-looking. She’s scared Eldrich will catch something!”

***

The hunt was clearly a successful one, for Laes heard of little else the next few days, especially as Anders had done very well too, as had Lady Muriel and the clearly accomplished Lord Teneris. Eldrich’s pleasure in the hunt transferred itself to his hunting companions so that Laes was left spending his evenings waiting unsuccessfully outside the town house for the next few days, standing in the cold, as Mrs. Berg refused to let him in unless Eldrich was inside. On more than one occasion he was accosted by drunken patrons seeking the brothel across the road, even getting pawed quite awfully once, as one of the larger patrons shoved him up against the wall and began reaching into his clothes, before Laes managed to shove him away and run.

He took himself off to The Nest each evening after his unsuccessful waits. At home, Tiaana would be entertaining her friends, and would ether ignore him or berate him awfully depending on her mood. She’d even taken the cane to him twice.

The Nest continued to remain crowded, and the cheap wine was still as awful but Laes had little choice. It was cold out and the warm fires in the inn were a relief. Hurt by Eldrich’s seeming neglect, and constant barbs about the number of bedpartners he’d tried, he even sought the company of others there – trying to catch the eye of the various handsome and prosperous looking merchants of various nationalities, but losing out to the more charming and well-attired courtesans the tavern owner had specially hired for the council season. On the few occasions he did attract someone, he found himself unwilling to go beyond using his mouth, wishing each time that the man he was pleasuring were Eldrich instead. 

Laes just couldn’t wait for all their winter visitors to leave! 

One evening, exhausted from waiting and intensely frustrated from his lonely nights, He wandered by the taverns in the classier parts of town, seeking Eldrich out but had little success. Finally he made his way back to The Nest and stayed there an hour or so, nursing a strong ale and firmly turning down advances, either whispered in his ears or through tiny notes stuck into his pants. There were many people around for a new group of traders had come in selling warm clothes and winter foods. He thought for a moment he’d spotted Eldrich but realised later that the man with dark, curly ringlets of hair leaving the tavern now just looked like the older man.

He spent some time at the long table talking to a young trader who had an accent very familiar to the soft Sevonian burr. It was only after they’d talked a while that he realised the lad was from the Marsinian side of the mountains, here to sell the scented drymoss blocks that they used to make fires fragrant. They were being used now in The Nest and Laes was glad that despite the military differences, trade continued on and off, so they could have these little luxuries. The trader also showed Laes another item he was selling – small tins of scented body oils.

He nudged Laes with a little smirk, “If you’re going to take up with any of those men who have been pawing you all evening, you may need it!”

Laes blushed and stammered, and tried not to think of how Eldrich hated scented oils. Laes sighed.

“We call it bedchamber oil. It has an extract of fernberry mixed in it,” the lad whispered, and touched Laes’ thigh, “It’s an aphrodisiac. Laes nodded to indicate he knew that. “For the ones who need a little help, and even for those who don’t,” the lad smiled.

Eldrich would never need help, but Eldrich wasn’t here and it was his own body that as unresponsive.

The lad was so charming and cheerful that Laes gave in and agreed to meet him at the alleyway, for a quick kiss and fondle and a trial of the oil. He leaned back against the wall, and they kissed hurriedly, the lad exploring Laes’ mouth cleverly and completely. Nimble, quick hands loosened his pants and shirts, and coated his cock and balls with the oil, and then dabbed it on his nipples as well, circling the large nubs with his slick thumb. It felt warm and the fragrance was a little intoxicating. Laes moaned as heat pooled in his groin and breast. The trader had loosened his own clothes and his hands roved Laes’ body as he ground their hardening cocks against each other. They came in a rush together. It was quick and rushed but fulfilling enough for Laes. He mumbled red-faced and dazed, still lost in the haze of his orgasm, as the trader declared it perfect and thanked him. He slipped a box of oil in Laes’ hand as he helped him pull together his clothes.

Laes was a little addled and quite morose as he left the alleyway, he’d indulged himself after days and it wasn’t enough! He ached so much to be with Eldrich. There were others in the alley, crouching in the doorways and alcoves, grunting, laughing, crying out in pleasure as flesh met flesh. Suddenly the sounds and smells of the alley got to him and he moved away, stumbling towards the main road, that led out of Candle Street into The Hive, the part of town where the nobility went to see to their bodily needs. It was also where the younger lords went to eat and drink, in small expensive restaurants that served foods from all over the world. Perhaps he would see Eldrich, he thought, suddenly tired .

***

He barely registered the woman as he passed by her, his distracted state of mind leaving him unprepared and defenceless. She grabbed him, and pulled him into a tiny alcove between two old taverns. He was too muddled to react, thinking at first he’d stumbled. But then she grasped his wrists tight and shoved him with his back to the wall, hands held above his head.

He gasped in pain and shock and stared up in confusion. She towered over him by a good two inches. As her face fell into the light from the streetlamp at the street corner, he gasped as he noticed the mask and the mass of curls, tumbling down over the bare, pale shoulders. 

“Lady Mystery!” He gasped.

She wore a tight, low necked, off shoulder bodice, that displayed the upper mounds of her generous breasts, a glimpse of rosy pink nipples visible under the lace edging. Her skirt flowed down to heeled calf length boots.

“Indeed,” her voice was gravelly, and yet oddly familiar but Laes. “I was hoping to see you here, little whore. I’ve been desirous of a good, long fuck. And look - you’re carrying fernberry bedroom oil.” 

Laes was still quite confused and dazed, and his body was still feeling the after effects of the aphrodisiac and of the long desired orgasm. She took advantage of his distraction to bind his hands to a length of metal pipe above. Laes cried out in surprise, and struggled furiously, kicking out.

She reacted by shoving her knee painfully into his crotch and slapping his face rapidly and repeatedly, the impact sending his head against the stone wall again and again. He moaned as the pain assaulted his exhausted body all over.

“I want to fuck you,” she told Laes.

“N-nooo…,” he whimpered, “Please… please let me go. It hurt… pl-please don’t hurt me…” He was begging a woman to not harm him, he realised. It was humiliating and embarrassing, but he could do little else.

“It matters little to me what you want,” she said pushing up his chin and staring down at him. Her eyes visible through the mask, were a deep, bright blue, “I like it when you struggle, it will hurt you more, I think. I like it when you hurt, little slut.”

He struggled nonetheless. But he couldn’t move, he realised dully. He was completely at her mercy. It terrified him and the fear set him trembling, especially when he raised his aching face to see her smug expression.

She removed her cloak and hung it on the pipe. Inside there were more lengths of rope. On one a long cylindrical object dangled, shaped like a phallus.

She did short work of his tunic and trousers, baring his nipples and cock to her gaze. Her hands were gloved, the leather lined with hessian. It was coarse to touch and abraded his sensitive skin. He moaned more in pain than in pleasure as her hands roved his cringing body, pinching his nipples and fondling his limp cock and balls, coating his bared, trembling body with the oil. She adjusted the rope around his wrists, tugging at it so that she could have him crouching, almost kneeling on the cobbled ground.

***

She had him pleasure her with his mouth, undoing the ties of her bodice so that her large breasts tumbled out. He used his mouth on her breasts suckling the nipples till they were taut, like two bright peaks glistening almost red. She pushed his head back so it rested against the rough stone wall, almost holding him in place there with her chest. Laes tried not to think how degrading it might be to be seen like this. They were so close to the main road that led to The Hive, and the lamplight fell clearly on them and people were passing by, some of them staring curiously at them. 

Despite the humiliation and shock, his body responded to her ministrations and the potent oil. Her hands played with his flesh even as she adjusted his body into an awkward and painful angle so as to reach his most intimate areas, the rough texture of her gloves painfully scraping the skin between his bollocks and his arse. She slid a finger into his tight, dry entrance, and he cried out, his shout of pain drowned in her breasts. A second and third finger followed almost immediately caused him to almost weep. 

She then pulled out her fingers and shoved the phallus in; it was large and damp and stretched his entrance and passage considerably. She continued to play her fingers inside him, alongside the phallus, opening up his entrance painfully wide. With her other hand she reached for his aroused cock. With her thumb she flicked the head of his cock and touched the tiny slit. The coarse fibres bit into the tender skin and Laes jerked in pain. She began massaging the sensitive flesh sending a fire racing through his lower body. He moaned into her bosom, and bit her partly from shock and partly out of anger. But the bite only aroused her more, and her fingers moved deeper into him. She prodded and groped his aching hardness, and then shoved his head down, his mouth trailing down her torso and belly. 

She then unfurled her skirt, undoing a cleverly concealed length of ties. Her body was completely bare underneath. She forced his head between her legs, commanding her to pleasure him. He obeyed, too weary to do otherwise. She was wet and her sex and crotch were still coated with someone else’s release. He used his tongue on her flicking it deep inside as she grasped and tugged his hair painfully. Her other hand continued to fondle his most intimate regions, pushing the phallus deeper and deeper in. She achieved her pleasure in his mouth her juices trickling down his chin and neck.

Laes slumped to the ground, moaning miserably. She tugged him up by his hair and ran a hand over his face, spreading her juices over his face. Laes felt himself gag, and sagged in her hold. His arousal bobbed against lower belly, hard and tight now. He moaned again and sank to his haunches trying to move so that he could rub his knee or anything against it. She bent down, bodice and skirt still undone. Her breast hovered over his upturned face. She ran her hands over his chest and belly again, and then grasped his cock. Laes let out a tremulous sigh. Blood pooled in his groin and his balls tightened. Even the smallest stroke and he would spill. 

She picked up another piece of rope and bound it tight around his swollen cock and balls. She then shoved the phallus all the way in, ignoring his pained cries, until suddenly the coarse edge brushed his hidden place inside. He shuddered and trembled as wave after wave of sensation ran through him. His groin felt close to bursting. 

As he crouched there, moaning shamefully, his hands still bound to rope, all of him seemingly concentrated in the heat that pooled at the base of his cock. Mystery stood, snoring loudly. Through clouded eyes he stared at her, as she did up her bodice and skirt. From somewhere in the folds of the skirt, she pulled out a small purse.

“That could have been better,” she told him, and removed a small silken roll. As Helye had done, she shoved that into his entrance, pushing the phallus in some more. She cut the rope that held him to the pipe but left his hands bound to each other.

Laes sank to the ground, and lay there howling from his denied pleasure, curling up so he could at least press his upper thigh into his abdomen. His cock and balls were raging.

He let out a throaty moan. The other patrons of places on Candle Street, passing by on the road, their own needs met, stared at him in bemusement. He rolled onto his stomach and rutted his hips against the icy cobbles. 

“Haaaaa.... aaahhhh…”

It didn’t help and he felt his frustration mounting. He moaned painfully and loudly. Perhaps someone would hear him and help him.

Someone walking by on the main road halted and he shrank away, ashamed. Not Lady Mystery, he realised slowly. This was a man, smelling of fragrant lavender and rich wine, immediately familiar, the soft, flat tones sparking a mix of emotions in him – desire, humiliation and misery all roiling inside him.

He looked up, his stricken eyes catching Eldrich’s achingly handsome face in the yellow lamplight! The older man stared at him. He was impeccably attired for a night in town, and he carried a fashionable walking stick.

“Laes!” he hissed in disgust.

Laes knew he presented a particularly sordid sight, with his tunic and trousers undone, and his most intimate parts exposed to all and sundry who passed by. 

“Eldrich! Why have you stopped here. The Old Wine House is off the next street. Ugh… what is that?” It was a young woman’s voice, Lya’s he realised with sinking heart. 

Laes scrambled away, pushing himself into the wall, trying to stay out of the light. His swollen cock protested. But there were more voices now, and familiar ones. He couldn’t be seen like this! Why did they have to pick today of all days to visit the one decent tavern in Candle Street. He groaned in despair.

“Eldrich, they will run out of the Fernian wine!” Anders! Laes turned to face the wall, hiding his face.

“We came all the way here for just that. You already joined us late!” That was an unfamiliar voice but Laes dove into a corner hiding his face, “Oh…what is this?”

“He fell, Muriel,” Eldrich said, “I thought I’d help him.” 

“Is she hurt?” Mylla sounded concerned.

“It’s a lad. And no, he’s just seeing to some – ah – bodily functions.”

Laes curled up further, his frantic movements, dislodging the money roll in his arse, sending a coin skittering out. Eldrich leaned forward closer to his face.

“D-don’t let them see me, please?” Laes begged softly, crying openly now.

“Is that money in his arse? Oh! He’s a man whore!” Another unfamiliar voice, a male, and quite gleeful.

“Really? I’ve never seen one!” That was Lya again, “Let me see.”

“Oh no!” Sula now, “That’s enough, young lady. Cavil – we need to leave here. El – see if the lad needs help and then join us.

More voices sounded in the background and Laes cowered even more inside when he realised he could hear Cavil and Tiaana and Verne. If they found him – but they mustn’t!

Eldrich waited till the others left and then helped Laes. He removed the coin roll and the phallus right there. Laes howled in pain as the fabric abraded his inner walls. As soon as Eldrich cut the ropes binding his hands and his nether parts, Laes nudged his still numb hands to his front. He came with a mewling howl, streams of semen spurting out of his freed cock. Laes slumped against the wall right there in the open as his body betrayed itself so, his stomach roiling and his head hammering. Eldrich watched him, a strange expression flitting across his face. 

“Who was your friend?” he asked, his tone far too casual to be actually so, as Laes did up his clothes.

“I – I... I don’t know her name.”

“She knew you.”

“I- I have met her before.”

“Does she always pay for your services?” Eldrich waved the coin pouch at him, “Five silvers!” 

Laes flushed and turned away. Eldrich snorted and walked off, with one last word.

“Whore!” he smirked at Laes’ stricken face.

***


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eldrich continues to blow hot and cold at Laes' expense. Laes desperately seeks an anchor.
> 
> Warnings for rough sex, spanking, corporal punishment

The next evening, Eldrich invited Laes over to his palce office. The younger man went eagerly but it was to be one of their worse days. The older man was clearly annoyed. He wanted to know all about Lady Mystery and refused to believe Laes didn't know more. He wanted to know where they'd met and Laes lied about having seen her before in The Nest, digging himself deeper and deeper in confusion as Eldrich continued pushing him.

"What does it matter anyway?" Laes retorted.

Eldrich glared at him and then finally shrugged. "Very well, if that's what you think!"

Laes avoided The Nest for some time after that.

***

The next week, as the winter deepened, the lords from the various provinces began returning home with their entourages. Eldrich’s friends left too.

To Laes’ dismay though, without the company of his nobler friends and his highborn lovers, he seemed quieter and angrier, and often exhausted. 

Laes knew the reason for his anger was his inability to trace what might have happened to Heth, and his exhaustion due to his increasingly restless sleep, where he cried out for the other man often. Laes tried his best to take care of Eldrich, submitting to his wills in bed and when they were done, forgetting his own comfort to ease his tired love into bed and a restful sleep, stroking his head and gently massaging the tensed muscles of his shoulders and back. 

On other nights, when Eldrich was in a better mood he would open a bottle of strong wine, and Laes would keep him company, even though he had a weak head. On such nights Eldrich would hold Laes close and stroke his aching arousal till near completion, until Laes would be weeping for release and then they would drink some more and talk more than they fucked. Eldrich would ask Laes about his work or about who he’d met in the Nest. Laes would pour out his worries about his military life, and about how Terel ignored him, his tone and turn of phrase usually maudlin, but increasingly bitter and hurt, as he felt more and more let down by his family. He often felt embarrassed the next day that he might have spoken too much but Eldrich usually waved off his worried apologies. He seemed to like listening to Laes, a sensation that was new for the lonely younger man. Laes had to be careful though at times, Eldrich would ask so many questions, about his non-military activities. He seemed to know that Laes knew Helye, and that was the last thing Laes wanted to talk of. If Eldrich got to know all that Helye had made him do, and all that he had willingly done with the envoy, he’d probably never want to be with Laes again.

Unfortunately, as the weather worsened, the winter now one of the coldest the country had experienced, Eldrich’s ill moods became more unpredictable and frequent, and more intense.

There were days when they fucked like rabbits, seeking nothing but pleasure, often late into the night aided with strong wines and brews and fernberry oils. And then the very next day Eldrich would deride Laes indiscriminately, at times in front of the Bergs, and the younger man, unable to respond, would simply do as Eldrich ordered him to, even if it hurt him mentally or physically. There were days too when he fucked Laes with an ever-increasing selection of objects, most of them gifts from Liame. On days like this, Laes truly missed the touch of Eldrich’s skin on his and the throb of his flesh in his hands or his mouth or his arse. 

The worst of Eldrich’s moods hit one week, in the height of the winter cold. Eldrich had been away at Svel for four days, and Laes had missed him terribly. On the fourth evening, when he returned home, he was delighted to find Eldrich there. He had been to meet Terel.

Looking up and down the hallway to ensure no one was there, Laes kissed Eldrich briefly on his lips.

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly.

“You or your arse?” Eldrich smirked, tapping him lightly on his backside, “Well I must return now. Come to the townhouse tomorrow.”

“My – my arse… missed you…” Laes blushed as he spoke.

Eldrich laughed softly.

“M-my room is here… n-not far,” Laes said nervously. Cavil was away and no one else had rooms near his.

Eldrich demurred. 

“Please,” Laes said softly, desperate to feel Eldrich inside him. 

As soon as they reached his chambers, Laes got onto his knees and pleasured him right there, coaxing Eldrich into hardness rapidly with his fingers and mouth and tasting him as he spilt on his face.

Eldrich had brought strong cherry wine from Svel, flavoured with a hint of fernberry. Laes had welcomed it, he was still tired from a double shift, first at the hangars and then at the highway post, since many of the usual guard were on holiday for midwinter. 

Eldrich had poured out two large mugs of wine. Laes thought it was quite a lot, but then he was thankfully on a late shift the next day, so he decided he could afford to indulge. He sipped the dark red liquid and grimaced a little as the strong, acrid brew trickled down his aching throat. He drank all of it and then had two more cups to give Eldrich company. He spent the rest of the night in a pleasant buzz. They fucked and talked. 

Eldrich fucked him hard and fast over his table first. Laes moaned and howled as his arse was filled again. Eldrich made him beg for his fingers and his cock.

“P-pl-please …” he’d whimpered, and then cried aloud for Eldrich’s cock, thick and swollen and dripping. Laes was eager and vocal. 

Eldrich then sat back in Laes’ small armchair talking about his journey to Svel. Laes sat beside him on the floor and talked about his own mountain stints, gratified that Eldrich encouraged him to speak. Then Eldrich fucked him on the floor in front of the fire and then after a while on the bed where it was warmer. Then Laes realised it was late out and Eldrich felt too tired to leave. 

As the dawn sunlight filtered through the open windows, that they had left open to look at the stars, they rose half-asleep, Laes still yawning sleepily, and Eldrich hard again. He was excessively sore from their repeated coupling at night, but when Eldrich reached for him, he acquiesced, turning over and spreading his legs. It was a welcome sensation after days. Besides he had a late shift that day.

Eldrich returned to the palace then and Laes slept a while more before washing, seeing to his now tender nether regions and then going down for breakfast. A look of disgust from their housekeeper as he was leaving confirmed that the staff knew he’d had someone in his chambers. He wasn’t too bothered though. He was old enough and his siblings had their lovers over too!

His first shift that day was at the hangar, and Anders had clearly heard of his doings that night for he put Laes onto the task of testing some new seating mechanisms for the new aircrafts that were being designed. From what Laes understood they were to test how well the new seat structure could withstand the vibrations from the guns in the undercarriage and how well they could eject the flyer when in trouble. He was quite alarmed at hearing all this. He had not quite realised till now that the flyers jumped out with a cloth umbrella like apparatus into nothingness if in trouble! He was worried for Anders was far more dangerous that what he or Cavil did. He tried to catch Anders’ eye but his brother was busy giving instructions. He finally did come by Laes though and tapped him on his buttocks with a swagger stick.

“Pay attention, you fool,” he hissed.

“It sounds dangerous, Anders,” he said softly, seeking to convey his worry.

“I tell most of them to think of it a riding an unbroken steed, but in your case, imagine your visitor last night fucking you like the whore you are,” Anders said, and swatted his sore behind again, leaving Laes gasping in pain and humiliation. “Father will not be pleased to hear of it, I can assure you.”

It was to get worse. The prototype mechanisms were made of wood or metal, and consisted only of the basic framework. Laes noticed the other cadets were given thick leather cushion while testing but he merely had a thin cloth cushion. Depending on the lever pressed, the seat mechanism would either vibrate furiously or thrust the user off. It was uncomfortable for him, for he was unused to the lever mechanism and ended up being either bucked about vigorously twice or thrown off to land on his arse. It hurt and each time he hissed or rubbed his buttocks, squirming in discomfort. Anders made him go again and again until he could test his assigned machine correctly three times. With each repeat the sniggers from the three officers watching increased, and in a while the soft taunts about a well-fucked arse began too, led by Anders and followed up by his friends, in the clear hearing of the other cadets. There was a great deal of derisive laughter and more bawdy jokes each time he fell and Laes was just simply thankful when he was finally done, tearful and aching and red-faced at some of the jokes he could hear.

He felt too upset to have lunch in the mess with others around and merely shovelled down some bread and cheese before heading for afternoon duty was with at the palace where Verne and Cavil were in a long meeting with some of the mountain units commanders. Both men emerged in a foul mood just as Laes was handing over his post to the next shift. Even though he was officially off-duty now and desperate for his tea, Cavil sent him scurrying around on a series of errands. It was as Laes was delivering a note to the king in his council chambers that he heard Eldrich’s voice inside and halted. Through the closed doors, he could hear raised voices, and the repeated sounds of people arguing. Curious, he moved closer. It was clear Eldrich was arguing loudly. The answering voices, one the king’s, another certainly Terel’s, both soft and coaxing.

“I am sure Heth is alive! I know him well, he would have planned in advance for such a minor contingency!”

There was more sound of intense discussion from inside, Eldrich’s voice suddenly softer and bitter. Finally Adrian’s voice rose, loud and commanding and firm.

“I will hear no more on this, Eldrich. You will do as you are told!”

Eldrich responded with a short barked phrase and then strode away towards the door. Laes had barely enough time to scamper back as the doors were flung open and Eldrich stood there, his face pale with anger, his beautiful hair tousled, and his shirt open at the chest. He glared at Laes.

“I – I c-came to d-deliver a message,” Laes couldn’t help but stumble for the others in the room were also glaring at him.

Eldrich snorted, as Laes entered and handed the note over, blushing from the annoyed glances.

“The treaty documents, Eldrich!” Adrian said, “See to them now, if you please.”

“Do my personal priorities upset you so much, father, that you would berate me in front of a mere soldier?” Eldrich said bitterly.

“Eldrich!” Adrian’s voice was gentle and soft and full of loving warmth, but deep with sorrow. Laes was shocked to see unshed tears glimmering in his eyes.

“Come lad,” Terel said gently, his tone very like the one he used with Cavil or Anders or Tiaana, “You are troubled and weary and have most likely skipped lunch, so we will pretend you did not say that. You know how much your father loves you.”

“Aye… forgive me,” the prince said tiredly, “You are right. I will retire to my rooms and work on the treaty.”

“You – soldier!” he snapped his fingers at Laes angrily, “Stop laying about listening at doors and come with me! I need materials from the archives. I’ll give you a list.” Laes stiffened a little but said nothing.

“Have something to eat first Eldrich,” Adrian suggested.

Terel nodded, “Laes – go to the kitchens and ask them to send Eldrich something to eat.” Laes wondered if he should protest. Surely that was a servant’s job! And yet it was for Eldrich, his dearheart, who certainly looked drawn and tired. 

“Now, Laes, if you please!” Terel snapped.

“Don’t stop to listen at any more doors,” Eldrich shot out.

“You should rest,” Laes suggested softly, when he reached Eldrich’s chambers as ordered, after he’d been to the kitchens.

“Well, that might be possible for an incompetent guardsman who can’t even get promoted, but some of us do actually do work that matters for the country!” Eldrich snapped out and continued writing out a list.

“I – I just meant… I…”

“I suppose you have ideas on how I could relax?” Eldrich continued bitterly, “Well damn it all, I say. Go and get me these items. The faster I finish this work, the sooner I can get to the matter of Heth’s disappearance. Father thinks he can keep me from pursuing the matter but he won’t. I’ll finish this report tonight instead of tomorrow. And tomorrow, I’ll investigate…” He broke of suddenly as though realising he was talking aloud. “You’re still here? Go now!”

By the time Laes returned with the books and papers Eldrich needed, tea had come in. The sandwiches and cake were over but Eldrich was strengthening his cup of tea with a generous shot fernberry liqueur. He’d washed, and he looked fresher now, his damp hair curling at his neck. He was dressed in a beautiful silk and velvet formal tunic and impeccably pressed breeches that hugged his strong thighs and firm calves, and showed a hint of his arousal. Laes almost moaned at just the sight. He wished his arse weren’t so sore.

“Get inside,” Eldrich commanded, and undid the ties on his breeches, “Put away those books, and get over here. Help my cock relax.”

***

Laes sat back on his heels, slumping tiredly. He wiped his face half-heartedly with his hand, grimacing as he felt the sticky residue trickle down his chin to his neck. His throat and cheeks ached, and his scalp tingled where Eldrich had tugged his hair.

Eldrich had nudged him to his knees immediately and Laes, aching from his usual loneliness and the hollowing feeling deep inside him after the day’s trials had been only too eager and willing. Eldrich had been quick and relentless, pumping into Laes’ mouth, urging him to swallow his release entirely. He rose, stumbling slightly, while Eldrich leaned back on his chair and lit a cigarette, and had another glass of wine, and had Laes undress for him and wash up. 

“You stink of sweat and wood polish,” he said frowning, “Go wash and make sure you use soap.”

Laes did as he was told, hurriedly. 

Eldrich was unsurprisingly aroused again very soon, the fernberry liqueur acting quickly. He had Laes lie down on the rugs in front of hearth on his back. The younger man obeyed though a little hesitantly, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the prince whose eyes glinted dangerously.

***

“S-slow down, please,” Laes moaned, as Eldrich thrust swiftly into his sore and unprepared entrance, sending his body slamming back against the rugs on the floor, “Y-you’re hurting me. Aaahhh.... please ...”

“You liked it when I did that yesterday. You begged me to fuck you harder!”

“That was after days without you. W-we made love four times last night,” Laes blushed as he remembered the words that had spilled out of his mouth in the throes of passion. “I-I’m hurting – th-there now.”

He yelped as Eldrich suddenly pulled out of him and scowled down at him. In the dimming evening light his expression looked fiercer than ever.

“We don’t ‘make love’,” Eldrich sneered, “We fuck. You’re not some dainty damsel set to lose your maidenhood. And I warned you I like it rough..” 

“I – I-“

“If you don’t like this, you can leave if you want now,” Eldrich said codly, “But I won’t have you back in my bed, if you do.”

“N-no!” Laes almost begged. He loved Eldrich, he knew that now. And he’d rather endure the soreness than lose him. He’d rather be hurt than see Eldrich hurting like his

“Leave! See if I care. I won’t stop you. You’re the one who came moaning to me like a bitch in heat.”

“No, please don’t make me leave,” Laes flushed as he spoke. He sounded desperate but he couldn’t help it. Eldrich was all he had ever wanted and the thought of losing him was akin to losing a part of him, “Please?” he lay again on his back and folded his legs to his chest, spreading them apart, uncaring of how wanton he looked as he displayed his intimate parts to Eldrich’s eyes.

Eldrich stared down at him. “Very well, but not like this. Get on your hands and knees, like the bitch you are,” Eldrich smirked as he spoke. Laes hurried to comply, burning with shame and yet aching with desire.

“I’m going to first punish you for gross insubordination and then I’ll take you as my hunting hounds take their bitches.” 

A large hand rested on Laes’ waist, while the other descended on his bare buttocks. To Laes’ utter misery and humiliation, Eldrich actually did smack him. He slapped him hard across the fleshy part of his buttocks, a few times in rapid succession, his hand rising and falling, the harsh sounds echoing through the room. Laes’ cries died down to soft pain-filled moans for Eldrich’s hand was heavy.

Eldrich slowed down and landed a few more strikes. And then he grasped Laes’ buttock cheek and pinched it hard, twisting the flesh cruelly.

When he was done with the beating, he fucked Laes. He pushed straight in, thrusting into the sore entrance rapidly and without any further preparation.

“Haaaaa....ahhhh....” Laes couldn’t stop the sounds coming out of his mouth, as his tender passage filled up, stretched painfully.

Eldrich’s hand snaked over his belly and chest, coming to rest over his right nipple. He pinched the sensitive nub fiercely, flicking the hardened top with his thumbnail. 

“Ahhhh....aaaannnnnhhh...”

The fingers twisted deeper.

“Aaahhhh…”

“That’s ... right... howl... like... a ... bitch,” Eldrich commanded, the words coming in jerks as he pounded into Laes’ worn channel repeatedly. His groin and balls slapped against Laes’ tender, swollen buttocks repeatedly.

Eldrich finally came deep inside Laes, searing his raw passage with his juices. Laes was almost in tears by the time the older man slumped over him sending both of them to the floor. Laes’ own arousal had long disappeared, and now he was just terribly tired and aching from deep inside. 

He didn’t know how long he lay Eldrich still inside him, head resting on Laes’ shoulder, his warm breaths slowing down from a frantic to pace to a slow relaxed pace of sleep. Laes too dozed off, hurt, hungry and exhausted. When the midnight bells rung though, Eldrich and Laes were both startled awake. He pulled out suddenly, his cock sliding out of Laes with a rapidity that actually hurt, and made the younger man cry out.

“Wh-hat time is it?” Eldrich rose, and ran a hand through his hair, glaring at Laes who had turned around slowly, trying to avoid pressing his aching backside against the cold floor.

“Damn!” Eldrich cried out, “I had to finish my report. Ugh…”

“E-Eldrich,” Laes scrambled up, crying out as pain shot through his lower body. The older man’s face was pale, the wan cheeks streaked with tear tracks. Laes rose uncomfortably awkward from the dried patches of semen coating his lower body, and wincing from the pain and soreness. He ached all over now, his arse stretched and sore, his hips were bruised from the contact with the floor and his nipples were scratched and puffy. He tottered slowly to his feet. Eldrich scowled at him.

“I had work to do you sick little slut,” he spat out. “I can’t believe I wasted the night with you. Get out!” he said hoarsely, and reached for his dressing gown, “Go!”

“I – I – “ Laes stared at the anger-filled face helplessly, unsure of what he’d done to annoy Eldrich so much again. He’d thought the prince would be pleased with him after having fucked him so thoroughly.

“You’ll have to leave through the outer stairs. I don’t want anyone seeing you! Stick to the town house next time!” Eldrich snapped out, “Not my bedchamber for the sake of the gods!”

Laes returned home and to his bed somehow, stumbling through the dark, weeping miserably. 

***

The next day, Tiaana complained to Terel about Laes’ ‘unsavoury visitors’. Terel called him to his study in the evening. Adrian was there as well. Terel was irritated to see Laes, but furious at his indiscretion. He berated him soundly about his habits and his many faults. 

Adrian too voiced his displeasure, when Terel paused to take a deep breath.

“Have you no care for your father,” he snapped out, “He has so many worries, and you add to those, with your vile indiscretions!”

Laes listened without protest, too heartsick to care. He tried at first to argue that Cavil and Anders had Sula and Lya over some nights, as well, but Terel slapped him hard in response.

“Shut up! I’m going to punish you myself this time!”

Laes stood numbly there, hoping it was just a bad dream.

Terel called Tiaana in to bring his riding crop over. He made Laes lower his trousers and lean over his table. He moved his shirt up to expose his lower back. At the sight of his buttocks, marked with bruises from where Eldrich had spanked him, Terel lost his temper again.

“You insolent creature, you disgust me!”

Adrian held him in place while Terel landed fifteen strikes on his tender buttocks and back. Tiaana stood back, looking satisfied. Laes took the beating without protest, although he did wind up crying by the time the fifth stroke landed on his buttocks, and then just kept weeping silently. To his further humiliation, Cavil, Verne and Anders entered the study while his punishment was on.

When Terel was done, Laes rose with difficulty, using the table for support, his lower body bared to their derisive gazes. 

“If I hear any more complaints against you, Laes, you’ve had it,” Terel told him flatly.

Tiaana prodded his crotch viciously with her own crop sending him mewling to the floor. Laes curled into the floor, still crying.

***

Laes was sorely upset the next few days, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. Eldrich’s anger hurt him but he tried to convince himself that the older man was troubled and in pain. Eldrich sent no word and was not to be found at the townhouse. He was also excessively miserable due to Terel’s anger and Tiaan’s continued sniping and Anders’ publicly aimed barbs. And as ever he was heartsick from Eldrich’s continued avoidance. 

And then suddenly, two days later, while he sat in his rooms smarting from another punishment from Tiaana, Eldrich summoned him back to the townhouse!

Laes went, feeling worried and confused and nervous, fearful that Eldrich may decide to end it all! The prince looked tired but a handsome as ever, and it hurt Laes deep in his heart to think that they had been apart. It was soon evident that Eldrich had no intention of ending matters for he said nothing about their last time together, but instead welcomed Laes in quietly for tea. Laes felt awkward at first as he tried to be formal, he found himself succumbing to the prince’s unusually gentle ministrations. Eldrich seemed relieved and delighted when Laes came over, and actually concerned to see him limping. Laes knew he was trying hard not to laugh when he told him the reason for his limp was a thrashing and he appreciated that. Eldrich even rubbed a cooling salve on his bruised buttocks!

The change in Eldrich’s mood surprised Laes but he wasn’t going to question it, he decided. He was just so grateful!

To Laes’ relief, all they did was sit in front of the fire. Eldrich held him close with a blanket wrapped around them while they drank hot chocolate and ate warm biscuits. They talked mostly, Eldrich seemed to carefully steer their conversation to harmless matters, such as his life in Fern. Laes talked for it seemed to soothe Eldrich, about his few happy memories from there; of the winter fair where he had met so many people from so many places. He didn’t want to speak of his sexual activities, so he talked instead of the various people he’d met, from all over. It was a quiet, peaceful night and while Laes was loathe to leave later, it was clear Eldrich was tired and needed sleep.

***

Laes was still nervous the next day when he undressed in front of Eldrich; he couldn’t help but wonder if the older man would lose his temper again. He trembled slightly at his touch and had to control his screaming nerves as Eldrich turned him over onto his stomach and slid his oil-slicked fingers down his crack. He could see Eldrich realised he was flinching and shivering. The older man seemed to slow down a little. It took a few days for Laes to start hoping the mood had passed.

***

Laes was glad things seemed somewhat fine between him and Eldrich for now. For nothing else seemed fine. Tiaana continued to berate him over the smallest of matters, Terel and Cavil ignored him unless they required him for an errand, and Anders continued to mock him over his smallest failings and he had plenty. 

Since he returned home to his cold and lonely bed far later in the night now, and usually too strung up and nervy to sleep, he was often tired and sleep deprived the next day. His demerits were increasing but he didn't really care. Serving in Anders’ unit was becoming increasingly painful, and he felt he would be reprimanded just as much even if he were on time and alert. He would serve out the minimum five years he was required to do so in the army and then … he hadn’t thought about what he could do next. He didn’t want to. 

He just knew that he was right now living the happiest days of his life, with Eldrich! It felt so different now, and he realised how lonely he had been all this while, and how his heart had been crying out for these moments, when somebody would hold him close, and have a need for him. 

He wasn’t completely ready to acknowledge it but he knew he was falling in love with Eldrich. Especially in the long, dark evenings when they lay on the rugs in the town house, usually after a bout of intense fucking, Laes sticky and sore in his arse and throat and mouth, but happy!

He knew couldn’t tell Eldrich yet how he felt although there were times he was close to crying out his love and adoration. But the prince was still so troubled. He needed to recover from the loss of his dear friend and perhaps lover, and Laes decided he would support him along every step of that recovery. These thoughts usually scrambled through his head at night, either while he watched Eldrich moan in his exhausted sleep or while he lay alone in his own bed, unable to sleep.

***


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laes wants to purchase a gift for Eldrich, but anything fine is beyond his pocket, resulting in humiliating situations for him. And he gets to meet Eldrich's friends, an odd and unexpected experience. Warnings for rough sex, public sex, prostitution, public humiliation, femdom

Eldrich reverted to his moody ways in a few days but it did nothing to take away Laes’ increasing love for him. He knew now what this overwhelming emotion he felt was. He found himself needing Eldrich so much that, not just the feel of his body but the mere sight of him, filled his heart with delight. He spent the shortening winter days thinking of Eldrich always and the cold nights after he returned home, dreaming of their coupling, even as his body abounded with the reminders of just that. It had been a few months and no more since they had first lain together but to Laes it felt as though he had known Eldrich’s touches for years. 

Laes wanted so much to tell Eldrich how he felt, but he found it difficult, feeling far too shy and awkward to express such new feelings. He decided instead to dip into his meagre savings and purchase Eldrich a very fine gift for midwinter. That was harder said than done though. To him, it seemed Eldrich had everything, and far more than he needed. He wished he were talented enough to make him something – a painting or an etching or even write him a poem. He’d seen some poems and small notes written by Heth lying among Eldrich’s books and papers, and even other close friends of Eldrich’s. They were usually short, at times amusing, very cleverly written and yet expressing a depth of feeling in a manner that Laes knew he could never manage.

One evening while Eldrich was out on his many travels, he wandered through the shops. He contemplated purchasing a silk tie but the prices were well beyond his means. He moved away from the palace area through the rougher sections of Old Varanya, where the traders’ markets flourished in the winter. There, for a few weeks before the midwinter, excess goods brought in by the traders were sold at cheaper prices. Some would be defective or perhaps too old-fashioned to appeal to the changings whims of the capital’s well-heeled, but it was a popular market nevertheless. He even noticed Lady Yarne, Eldrich’s aide at a stall selling cosmetics and nodded shyly at her. As was her wont, she ignored him, and he thought uncharitably that she would need those products if she were to be such a sour puss with Eldrich. Though he knew she never behaved so with the prince, especially not when they shared a bed. That reminded him he needed to find a fine gift for the iother man!

The market reminded him of the winter fair in Fern and he even felt himself flush as he passed a small stall selling fernberry root aphrodisiacs, the owner openly soliciting couples strolling together. He browsed through the small stores, enchanted by the bright colours of countless trinkets and fabrics and the mixed fragrances of all sorts of dried herbs and flowers and other plant produce. 

His ear caught the clear ringing tones of a mountain accent and he made his way to a small stall run by an old woman and a lad who was clearly her grandson. The lad stood by unloading wares from a wheelbarrow. Laes noted some quills that were purchased just then by a scholarly looking man. Those would make a fine gift. The woman was busy haggling with a stout matron who wanted a piece of jewellery at a third the price, so Laes asked the lad softly if he had another set.

The lad nodded. He placed down the crate he was carrying, and stretched, grimacing slightly. He was extremely handsome, with the characteristic dark, thick hair, dark eyes and lean but muscular build of the mountain people. He wore a dark red tunic over a thin grey shirt and snug black breeches that hugged his corded thighs. As he stretched, his top rode up, revealing a flat tanned belly and the outline of a firm arse. Laes couldn’t help but appreciate the sight.

“Heavy that,” the lad murmured, and then balanced on the same crate to reach the storage space at the top of the makeshift stall. Laes watched his graceful movements. The lad pulled down a bag, and dug out a box of quills. 

Laes examined them interestedly. The looked fine enough to him.

“We have some nice writing paper, as well,” the woman cut in suddenly, “Show him, Kiro.”

Kiro shrugged and pulled out some sheets of the paper. Laes fingered it, a little unsure of how one decided if a paper was fine.

“Here, I’ll show you. This is very fine paper indeed, comes all the way from Marsinia, see?” Kiro pulled out a small square of the same paper. He tore out a small section and dashed off some squiggles on it.

“Can you write?” he asked Laes cheerfully.

Laes nodded. He returned the sheets to Kiro, they were too expensive.

“Not got you far, has it?” Kiro giggled, “If you can’t even afford paper to write on…ha ha… ah come there’s no cause to look so unhappy on that . He returned the sample sheet to Laes, “Keep that, you can use it to test the quills.”

Laes flushed and looked away. He spotted a lovely set of collar studs – a bright golden hue, with coloured gems ringing the edges. But it was well beyond his means. He lingered awhile, trying to haggle with the grandmother, but she simply shooed him away. He bought the quills instead, unhappy at having to settle for less. As he walked away, a soft whistle had him glancing towards a small alleyway, and he spotted the Kiro standing by a wagon filled with wares. 

He had a bawdy suggestion on how Laes could make up for the deficit. 

“I have a room at that tavern there,” he smirked at Laes, “You could do for me what your lover does for you that you seek such a fine gift as those collar studs for him.”

Laes couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic. 

“N-no,” he said, “I – I… the quills are…adequate.”

Kiro gave him a shrewd look, “If he does not share his bed with others, it may be,” he smirked.

Laes blushed. Kiro’s words were far too close to the truth. He stumbled away unhappily.

“What will he get for you?” Kiro called out, his voice full of laughter.

 

***

The next evening at Eldrich’s house, Laes found the young prince groaning as he opened a postal parcel from the very beautiful heiress to an eastern duchy and found a fine set of quills from Parva inside with a coyly ingratiating note.

“More quills!!” Eldrich groaned.

“They’re so beautiful,” Laes said, knowing immediately that his looked tacky and far inferior to these.

“If only she had a set of brains between her ears, she’d realise a mere dance with her at midsummer signifies nothing but politeness! And I have so many quills! Why do people send me quills, do they think I write so much? It’s so impersonal and thoughtless! And she signs herself off as me ‘dear friend’ if she may! Thanks the gods for my true dear friends who would never send me such tacky and useless gifts!” Eldrich continued on, is handsome face creased in annoyance.

Laes’ face fell as he heard that. Of course it was impersonal, he should have realised that! He knew Lady Muriel had sent for Eldrich a hunting dog that she had personally trained! Lady Yarne had gifted him a painting of some rare mountain region flowers. Another friend had sent bunches of exotic blooms from their greenhouses. And even Liame and his wife had sent a beautifully done book of poems that they had themselves written and illustrated, as well as an old manuscript that looked like an instruction manual. Laes was a little surprised to hear they had become such good friends. Liame didn’t send him anything!

He was distracted as he undressed and even as he took Eldrich in his mouth. It annoyed Eldrich a bit, and the prince retaliated by grabbing Laes’ hair roughly and hold him in place while he thrust hurriedly into his throat. He pulled out when he was about to come and spilled himself onto Laes’ upturned face. He hooked a finger under Laes’ sticky chin and held his face up, glaring at the younger man.

“When you’re actually interested in doing this, you may return to my bed,” he told him imperiously and walked away, winding his long robe around him, “I had hoped to try something from the manual on you.”

Laes scrambled to his feet, and ran after him. For the rest of the evening he pushed aside the thought of the gift and peddler lad, and surrendered himself to Eldrich’s clearly fractious mood.

Eldrich was evidently in punitive mood. He had Laes lie on his back on a small lounge chair and then bound his wrists to the supports at the head, and his ankles up and apart – one to the supports at the back and the other to the couch legs. He fucked him with his fingers till he was near completion. He then tied his hardening cock with his belt. He left him writhing on the bed in need, his cock swollen but restrained and his arse achingly empty and returned with his tea tray. There were wafer-thin sandwiches with small bowls filled with dips, a huge bowl of salad vegetables, and cherries and strawberries served with cold clotted cream, honey and warm melted chocolate. He sat by eating leisurely, lingering over the fruits, sucking each piece first before popping it into his mouth and then letting the juices dribble down his chin. All the while, Laes watched the wickedly sensuous movements and moaned piteously. Eldrich was so incredibly handsome!

Laes felt the warmth pool in his lower belly and his balls cock seemed to swell impossibly in its bindings. The tip of his aching shaft bulged out, purple and shiny. A translucent drop leaked out. Eldrich teased him by placing a spoonful of the cold clotted cream on the glistening tip, swirling it in the trickle of semen. The touch sent shivers racking through Laes’ body.

“Unnnhhh…” Laes moaned and thrust his hips upwards, pulling at his restraints. Shivers ran through his taut, straining body. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he wondered how wanton he might be looking.

In response, Eldrich inserted two buttered fingers into Laes’ twitching arse, and bit him sharply on one nipple.

Laes let out another garbled moan.

Eldrich swiped his sticky fingers on the swollen, reddened nub, coating it with honey and a warm apple and pear chutney, and then bit again, this time chewing the minute bits of fruit off the tender bud. Laes continued moaning as the sensations raced through him.

Eldrich repeated the action with other nipple, this time inserting three olives inside Laes’ passage, one after the other. The olives sent tiny burning sensations inside him and the chewing action on his nipple was pleasurable but painful but the ache in Laes’ voice was entirely due to the restraints that wouldn’t let him release. He ached to have his cock seen to, imagining how the same mouth that was working his nipples might feel on the throbbing column of flesh, or even those long fingers that were delving deeper and deeper inside him. Eldrich continued until all the olives and cherry tomatoes and mandarin oranges in the salad bowl were inside his passage and his nipples had been coated with each dip and chutney, progressively spicier so that. 

“P-please…” Laes moaned as his groin ached. If he could have his hands released, he could take care of it himself, he thought

Eldrich’s long fingers brushed Laes’ most sensitive area more than once, and sent shivers of pleasure up his spine and through his groin. The tea tray was nearly empty soon, its contents inside Laes’ arse and coating his bulging balls and swollen nipples. Eldrich’s own cock was now thick and engorged. 

Even as Laes watched, he took care of his own needs swiftly, his long fingers moving rapidly, until he spurted himself, all over Laes’ chest and stomach, thick streaks of white landing on the sweat slicked pale skin. By the time Eldrich was done with the delicious torment, Laes was hoarse from crying out and nearly bucking off the bed in frustration. He let out a wail of relief when his cock was released and his hands untied. As Eldrich sat back smirking, nursing a large goblet of wine, Laes’ fingers flew to his crotch, fumbling as he struggled with his numb wrists. He howled as he came, spilling onto his fingers, his lower body soon uncomfortably sticky. 

Laes rose tiredly off the bed when they were done, to use the small adjoining bathroom to wash up before leaving, while Eldrich sat back to smoke a cigarette and have a drink. It took Laes some time to wash away all the residue, and he was just glad Eldrich was in a good enough mood to let him use the bath before leaving. When he emerged, still tried and a little sore, He found Eldrich was picking his clothes off the floor. He was glad he had removed the quills and left them at home. Eldrich though, was looking curiously at the note that he had retained.

“What is this?” he asked a little flatly, pouring himself another large cup of wine.

Laes shrugged, “Just testing the paper,” he said evasively.

“You practise with an interesting script,” Eldrich told Laes drily, and quaffed back his cup in a single swallow.

“Oh.”

Laes stared at the squiggles a little more closely. It looked like the Marsinian script. He wondered what it said. He reached for his clothes.

“Not yet,” Eldrich said suddenly, swiping them away, “Get me another cup of wine and go lie down on the hearthrug.”

“Oh – I – I thought…”

“You needn’t think,” Eldrich said curtly, “It probably gives you a headache anyway.” Laes bit his lip at the shortness of the tone but obeyed the other man anyway, only too glad to stay longer in the prince’s company.

Eldrich had him lay on his stomach on the hearthrug, and bound his wrists again, this time behind his back. He leaned over him, his breath heavy with the strong aroma of the wine. He ran his hands over Laes’ naked back and rump, the fingers resting for a while on one buttock. The calluses from his daily sword practise felt rough on Laes’ soft skin, sending a tingle of welcome sensation through his body. He squirmed as warmth pooled in his lower body.

He let out a soft pleasured moan, and turned his head towards Eldrich.

“F-fuck me… please,” he whispered. He’d missed having Eldrich inside him today.

But Eldrich ran his hands up and then slipped his fingers through Laes’ hair, and then suddenly slid them off again. 

“Not yet… not yet…” he muttered softly to himself.

“Wh-what?” Laes asked in confusion turning to look up at Eldrich, only to have his face pushed to the rug again.

“Stay there!” Eldrich rose off Laes with an impatient sound.

Laes lay there waiting and wondering. Eldrich returned quickly though, having discarded his robe and with a thick, large studded phallus in his hand. He felt the heat intensify further in his groin, and spread his legs wide in anticipation, moaning softly again. 

It was a rough and hurried session, quite unlike what Laes had expected. Eldrich fucked him hard using his fingers and the studded phallus repeatedly and then his cock. He was strangely forceful, so that Laes’ soft cries began to turn pained rather than happy, but Laes let him in, obeying the harsh commands as it meant he was with Eldrich till the late hours of night. They finally fell asleep near each other, waking only with the early rays of the sun. Eldrich was short and snippy as Laes rose and pulled his clothes on, acceding to the harried demands of his older lover to hurry up and move his arse despite the aches and pains that riddled his body.

“I shan’t need you for a few days,” Eldrich told him rather dismissively, “I have friends visiting and my nights will be busy.”

Laes felt his face fall as he stared at the older man.

“I’m sure you can find someone else’s bed to warm for a few days,” Eldrich smirked.

***

The next evening Laes bought himself a serving of the strongest whisky in a tavern near the market, and laced it with fernberry extract. He willed himself to stop thinking and returned to the traders market. He hurried along, hoping there would be no familiar faces for the fewer who had even a chance to witness his behaviour the better.

He almost thought he spotted Eldrich there, when he took a wrong turn and stepped out again. A tall broad shouldered figure had just moved out of his sight quite swiftly, his gait and build from the back very similar to Eldrich’s. But his hair was flaming red and his clothes, the uniform of the river navy, were shabby and Laes shook his head ruefully at the thought that he could see his dear love in some slovenly sailor, and  
went looking for Kiro instead.

He found Kiro stacking wares in the same alleyway. They slipped away into a narrow passage behind some taverns. Laes bit his lips nervously, and tried to blink away the sudden tears he felt. He was a whore just as Anders said. And so incompetent that he couldn’t even buy the love of his life a gift without letting him down.

“Relax,” Kiro whispered, “It’s all well.” To his surprise, Kiro leaned forward to kiss him lightly on his lips, and undoing his shirt, ran his hands over his bared chest and back, the touch gentle and relaxing. Laes slowly fell to his knees and undid the lad’s breeches. Kiro was well hung and clearly experienced. He pumped into Laes’ mouth in a leisurely but well-practised pace, his large cock filling up the other man’s mouth and inching towards the back of his throat. Laes worked his mouth around it, and used his fingers to fondle his smooth balls, all the while telling himself that Eldrich had said he could be with other men if he wanted, and he had not after all given the lad his arse! That most intimate part of him was still Eldrich’s.

The lad pulled out before he came and spilled himself onto the ground, whistling happily as he did so. Laes felt oddly grateful. When they came to the stall though, the collar studs had been sold.

Kiro was genuinely distressed and he tugged Laes aside.

“Look keep the quills and here, take this shirt. It’s got a bit of embroidery here and the colour suits you. And these cuff links, they’re copper but see, polished to look like gold. That should cover the cost of the collar studs. Surely your man would be just as pleased with these?”

Laes bit his lip miserably. The cuff links looked nice enough, but Eldrich had far too many of those as well!

“I needed something like those collar studs,” he said miserably.

“I’m sorry,” Kiro said with a sigh. “If it helps I could tell you which of the men in the other stalls would be interested in trading with you in return for your favours. You do have a talented mouth and your arse looks comely indeed!”

Laes blushed miserably and shook his head. “It was just that once,” he mumbled unhappily. “I’m not a whore.” He pushed the cuff links into Kiro’s hand. 

“You could have fooled me with that mouth of yers,” the lad smirked, “Keep them, you earned them.”

Laes paled and Kiro’s face fell.

“Come I meant merely a poor jest. You Varanyan folk and your fine ways. Anywhere else we could have settled this with a laugh,” he said soothingly, “Think nothing of it… ‘tis not like your lover will wed you, is it? Not in this city at any rate,” he said almost bitterly, “they think of our ways as deviancy here, eh? Not like at home. So ’tis no reason for you think you do him a disfavour by bedding others. Deviants like us must seek our pleasures where we get them.”

Laes turned away, his stomach feeling hollow as Kiro’s words reminded him of matters he’d rather avoid thinking of. Kiro gently pulled him back and pushed the cuff links into his pocket. He let his hands rest in Laes’ pants a while and the suddenly dropped a kiss on the surprised young man’s lips.

“There you go,” he declared softly, “Chin up young sir. It isn’t like you don’t like it. It’s just a trade. Your man has other lovers dursn’t he? That’s why you want a pretty gift eh?”

“I – I -,” Laes blushed unhappily, remembering how he had been dismissed for the evening.

“Look, how much do you have?”

Laes told him. Kiro pursed his lips. “I’ll take you to a fair man. Men rather. Give ‘em a silver and two hours of your arse for anything you like. It’s a fair trade, eh?”

Laes shook his head “N-no… I couldn’t…”

“Ahh come now. ‘tis not like your arse is untouched is it…and it is rather comely, though a little skinny. And your tits are mighty fine too. For sure your lover likes the taste,” Laes flushed miserably and pulled the bindings of his shirt closed, realising the marks from Eldrich’s teeth were still visible on his chest.

The red-haired man Laes had seen earlier was examining the items in Kiro’s mother’s stall. He held up a bead necklace. Laes thought of Eldrich and a lump formed in his throat.

He nodded unhappily, dashing away the tears springing in his eyes.

Kiro took him to a tavern called The Tender Hole. Laes though the name was greatly distasteful and the shape of the signboard, which although quite primitively done was very clearly meant to indicate the posterior of a fairly plump person. It looked quite disreputable to Laes and he stepped into the public room rather reluctantly. The atmosphere inside was one of grim silence and heavy with the smell of pipe smoke and stale ale and damp smoking wood. Laes had to meet three traveling merchants from the mountains. They were from one of the isolated villages near the Marsinian border. They were nice enough men, and took turns in his mouth and arse, and were surprisingly gentle. They spent a fair amount of time preparing him, lining his arse with a strange smelling oil. It felt soothing in his passage, and Laes realised now how sore he had actually been after Eldrch’s moody fucking the previous night. He shifted impatiently and the man chuckled. “We are not as tightfisted about love among men as your people are. We know how to go about it, unlike your last man, who seems to rut like a wild dog and nibbles your chest as a rat would. Fear not, youngling, you won’t hurt tonight.”

It did indeed not hurt much beyond the soreness that he had already felt in the morning. As he dressed himself once they were done, the same piece of paper with the squiggles fell out of his pocket. He really should get rid of it, he thought.

One of the men picked it up, read it and laughed, “That young scamp, Kiro!” he smirked.

“Wh-what does it say?” Laes asked.

“It has the address to The Tender Hole,” they told him. Laes shrugged.

When he left, he was miserable but his pockets were heavier. He’d found in their stores, a fine looking pocket watch. It was large with a huge shiny metallic grey casing, almost like silver, with an intricate floral arrangement in coloured crystals around the side. The face had a leaf pattern painted over it in crystalled lines, with small flowers in coloured gems and butterflies in gold paint, while the hands and time markings were in black, edge with silver and gold. The chain to hold it was also studded with bright, shiny crystals in various colours. Laes thought of Eldrich’s plain unassuming small pocket watch with its simple lines and plain design, and thought how much nicer and more reflective of his standing this piece would be. The piece was from Marsinia, where work like this was common. He wondered why such metal and stone work was so rare nowadays in Varanya, even in Varland. He did not realise that the heavy brocades he had known as a child and the intricate carving and the clashing colours and shiny look that had filled his aunt’s house in Fern had gone out of fashion now, and would be seen by the more elegant folk in the capital as tacky. To his unfamiliar eye, this had more work and more stones and crystals and hence would be clearly more expensive.

As he reached the tavern common area, fingering his new acquisition through his pocket, he thought he saw the red-headed man again near the serving area. He reached the serving area and realised he was mistaken, and he shook his head ruefully at the thought that he could now even see Eldrich’s lookalikes everywhere. As he was leaving the tavern, he noticed Lady Yarne again, at a jewellery stall now. She stared at him and then the tavern and the smirk of disgust was only too clear on her face. 

***

Laes had a very long and tiring time the next day. Despite the care and gentleness displayed by the Marsinian traders, his arse was still sore and his chest too hurt. At the hangars he found he had to test the seating mechanism again and it only worsened his aches and pains. The machinery was being tested for endurance at greater levels today and the vibrations applied were strong and fast. Again, he had only a hard wooden seat in his machine, even though the others had cushioned seats and on the first few trials, he slipped off, unable to stay seated on the hard surface, only to be greeted with laughing derogatory remarks that made him blush. Even the female officers wouldn’t spare him!

That day however, he was more embarrassed as they had observers, a pretty young female engineer from the facility that made the seat and wing parts for the flying machines. Sula had accompanied her over as she was in the military engineering unit, and unsurprisingly, Cavil had found the time to join them as well. Laes saw them all laughing and talking with Anders and the other officers. Lady Elian had a small pert face and a mop of curly dark red hair that seemed to be cut short so that it curled just till her shoulder. She had laughing green eyes and lush pink lips that contrasted oddly with her freckled nose and cheeks, giving her a look of naughty innocence. She was dressed similar to the women officers of the flying corps in a practical but quite daring uniform – white open necked blouse and green and brown riding skirts that hugged the hips. 

Laes thought she seemed to speak quite confidently and knowledgably as she discussed all sorts of machines with Anders and Cavil and Sula. 

He had been quite mortified when his second fall off the machine seat had evoked a fresh round of bawdy jokes and he could see Cavil’s lips set in a tight line. He’d hoped the anger on his brother’s face was on his behalf but he realised soon after a few hissed commands that the anger was actually at him. He flushed unhappily and got back to his seat. 

“Idiot,” he said, his voice low and tight with fury, but still clear enough to be overheard by most people in the hangar, including the new cadets, “I can see you’re entirely incompetent here as well!” Laes blushed to the roots of his hair.

“Get back on, guardsman!” Anders barked at him, smirking. He knew it embarrassed Laes to be ordered about by him. 

Elian suggested they use belts to hold the volunteers in place and soon the seats were modified to include belts that were wrapped around the upper thighs and the chest. This worked well to hold them in place, although they were still jolted around a bit. In Laes’ case it was still a painful situation for the vibrations sent his buttocks lifting off the seat only to fall back again with a painful thud on the uncushioned wooden surface, the belts helping only to hold his legs and upper body in place. To make matters worse, Anders put him on the first solo demonstration to be viewed by all the other officers and cadets and men and visitors, where the machine was put on a very high speed. Laes could feel his teeth rattling and his wrists and arms hurt as he tried desperately to grasp the handgrips. His aching buttocks thudded repeatedly and rapidly against the hard surface. He bit back pained cries aware that Anders was making fun of him alongside the other officers, all younger than him, their comments playing on his riding experience and his well-experienced arse, and he was only too glad when the solo was halted even though they moved onto the group tests after that.

As the morning progressed, his sore arse was continually subjected to the constant friction of the hard surface and the tight leather belts bit into his tender chest and upper thigh. He was almost in tears from sheer humiliation by the time they were done, and his arse and chest felt almost on fire. He noticed Anders glancing at him and whispering something in Sula’s ear that sent her into peals of laughter. Cavil too laughed suddenly and even Lady Elian’s broad smile showed her amusement. Unsurprisingly he found he had been docked a day’s pay for unsatisfactory performance, and also assigned on stable cleaning duty.

In the afternoon he had guard duty at the newly constructed bridge over the Aevrna river that had opened up access into Varanya from the northern road from the mountains. The span was nearly a mile and the guards on duty were constantly on their feet walking the length up and down. Laes was utterly exhausted and almost ill on his feet by the time he finished. He collapsed onto his bed without dinner, sleeping straight through the night and waking only with the breakfast bell.

When he rushed in to the dining hall, having quickly readied himself, Terel shouted at him for being tardy and instructed Tiaana to punish him in the evening. He had palace duty in the morning, which kept him on his feet. Terel, still annoyed with him, had him running the messages most of the morning, between the king’s offices and the military headquarters and various other office buildings. It was tiring moving around these on foot for they were all at various levels in the royal centre of the city and Laes had to keep climbing up and down. Stable duty was in the palace after lunch, and then after tea, he had duties at the hangars, cleaning and polishing. It had been yet another exhausting day but Laes knew he would have to meet Eldrich in the evening and give him his gift. 

He had to meet Tiaana for his punishment. She used her riding crop on his poor buttocks, still aching. It wasn’t till late evening that he found time to meet Eldrich, and he decided to risk calling on him at the palace. Yarne would not be in and would hence not try to fob him off. The prince was sufficiently surprised to see him late in the evening, at his palace apartments. He’d looked put out at having to receive visitors and even more so when he’d realised it was Laes. He had on a dressing gown and it was evident he wore nothing underneath. Laes thought he had probably turned in early. He had been short and curt until Laes placed the beautifully wrapped box in front of him. His expression had changed from annoyance one to one of wary curiosity. He stared slowly at the timepiece. In the bright lamp lit interiors, the surfaces glinted and shined even more.

Eldrich fingered the carving along the rim and then stared up at Laes. 

“This is… interesting!” he said, “And oh are those crystals on the butterfly wings? My…this does shine a fair bit!” 

“I knew you’d like it!” Laes said happily. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Of course.” Eldrich’s tone was a little dry, “It’s – it’s … very… well… noticeable…”

Laes worried his lower lip a little, “I – I know… it is not… not as original as the – uh – other – gifts you received. B-but… I’m not very creative… uhhh…. e-except…I – I hunnn… th-thought I c-could…we could try…”

He felt his face flush horribly as he wanted to propose he gift himself but he was unsure of how it would be received. Would it be seen as nothing unique or would it be considered disgusting and wanton. He felt so unsure!

Eldrich stared at him, “Try what?” he smirked slightly.

“I-i-in b-bed. Any-thing you w-want... perhaps at your town house tomorrow,” Laes stammered, and then feeling emboldened, “Or if you desire, even today.” He undid the bindings of his shirt and loosened his trousers to reveal his nude frame underneath. 

“Hmm… I have friends visiting as I said, so I fear your offer may need to be put off,as desireable as it may have been.”

“I don’t see why you must put it off,” a soft lilting laughing voice murmured from the doorway, “And anyway it is unlikely that he does anything but the desireable when you bed him.”

Laes whirled in shock, hurriedly fumbling to do up his clothes. He gaped at Lady Elian standing by the door. She wore a man’s shirt, the buttons open till mid-chest to reveal the generous swell of her uncorseted and clearly bare bosom. Underneath, she wore a draped skirt that was tight around her buttocks and thighs, and so high that her calf and ankles were visible. Laes gasped. Her clothes would have been enough to garner attention but her shocking words left him almost faint with fear.

“So you my little rider, are Laes, are you? I had heard about you! You are exactly as I imagined.”

She wore Eldrich’s shirt, Laes realised and flushed. Her throat and the swell of her breasts were marked with what might have been kisses. She bounded forward happily, her hands stretched out. Laes took them automatically and bent to kiss them, trying hard to avoid glancing at her chest. The loose shirt slipped slightly off her shoulder revealing that she lacked even a slip or a brassiere.

“So it is on your poor self that Eldrich’s tries Liame’s many ideas is it?” 

Liame! Laes looked up in confusion.

“Elian! Let the boy be. He hardly knows you.”

Laes gasped at the voice. Liame stood at the doorway, tying up the sash of his dressing gown, revealing the familiar contours of his bare frame.

“Laes, this is my wife.”

***

“Join us for dinner.” Laes was unsure whether this was a command or a request from Elian.

“Surely not today!” Liame had seemed a little hassled to see Laes there too. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

“Yes, you should leave now, Laes,” Eldrich said a little unkindly.

“Oh no, stay. We have some fine wine that you will like and it will help relax you. You look quite worried.” Elian said, “And it will be nice talking to a guardsman for a change instead of a colonel or another scientist or author. I do not know any other guardsmen. Tell me all about your work. It must be difficult…standing out all day… and – and … guarding… or riding equipment?”

At Elian’s eager encouragement, Laes agreed to join Liame, Elian and Eldrich for dinner at the couple’s palace apartments. The rooms were in an annexe to the main palace, and had been kindly provided by the king for their use during their stay, since they were here on official work for the military. Laes was afraid Liame and Eldrich were a little upset at his unwanted intrusion, but they seemed unconcerned after their initial protests were ignored. None of them bothered to change, sprawling across the chairs in their makeshift attire. Elian’s skirt appeared to be just a silken drape.

Liame’s visit was a pleasant surprise for Laes. He hadn’t known about it at all and he felt a little hurt that the other man had seemingly become so close to Eldrich that he would tell him and stay with him, and clearly do more than just stay. He learnt later that Elian and Eldrich had been good friends and that Eldrich had actually fagged for Liame in school, and even now often asked him for his advice on particularly tough issues.

Liame had come for a short winter break, he said vaguely, while Elian had work to do for the military. She ran the scientific facility in Sevona with Liame and worked on designing weapons and machines for them! Laes thought she sounded terribly clever, for she also seemed well-versed in the arts and wrote literary works as well! She was an accomplished photographer as well, and in fact at dinner, gifted Eldrich a set of miniatures that seemed to show two people pleasuring each other. Laes nearly fainted from shock when he’d seen the gift. He could not see their faces in the angles she’d used, the focus on the curves of the back, firm buttocks and strong, long legs. But it was evident one was Eldrich while the other partners were varied, a woman in some, a man in others and in one, clearly Heth for Eldrich had teared up unabashedly when he’d seen it. The photographs were incredibly beautiful and touching and once Laes got over the impropriety of it all, he was quite overawed by the beauty in those.

Laes thought Liame looked worried and tired, and he seemed rather reticent to talk, nursing his wineglass instead and restricting his conversation largely to some discussions with Eldrich. Laes wondered if perhaps the others didn’t know about his prior experiences with Liame. But then Elian asked him his opinion on the fernberry pods and Laes had to blushingly respond. Elian, it appeared, knew much about him, including his liaison with Eldrich, as did Liame, much to Laes’ chagrin. He had thought that was to be a secret between him and Eldrich!

“I am writing a little book on the art of lovemaking, and I get my dear friends to tell me of all they experiment in their bedchamber,” Elian said, stretching as she spoke, so that the shirt rode up and revealed her flat stomach, and navel. The makeshift skirt rested low on her hips, revealing a thin line of fine red hair just below her belly and Laes blushed at the sight, and took an overly large gulp of wine out of nervousness.

“Eldrich was not so very adventurous earlier. But he seems to try many new things with you. And I hear you are quite responsive.”

“He’s quite the whore around,” Eldrich bit out with a strangely cold laugh. Laes gave him a hurt look. The prince was drinking a little heavily but that was no excuse to be so rude!

“Oh come, Elly,” Elian laughed off.

“I’d say he is quite experienced,” Liame said suddenly, his tone a little bitter, “Are you not, lad? Even that spring you spent in quite a few beds, eh?” He smiled vaguely as he spoke, and while Laes felt a little discomfited by the words, he found he couldn’t take offense at Liame, or even Eldrich.

Elian was intensely curious after that, wanting to know if Laes had been with women and why he preferred men to women. He had no answer to that, merely shrugging and blushing and wondering why the other two men could not stop Elian. Surely this was most improper, using such words and asking such queries to a man she hardly knew.

“I should like to visit The Peacock, and watch who is bedding whom and all of the gossip,” Elian said. That, Laes had heard was a new gentleman’s club where women were allowed on certain evenings. It had once been a brothel and then a gaming hell, and then housed a vulgar and most lower class sort of theatre and now finally the old building had been bought by some members of the gentry and converted to a watering hole plus entertainment hall. It was popular among many of the young aristocracy for all sorts of odd entertainments, Laes knew from the way Anders and his friends spoke of it and the giggles that Sula and Tiaana exchanged when they talked of it, and the disapproving tone Cavil and Verne used. It was also a place for assignations of all sorts. 

“It is not a suitable place for you to visit,” Laes told her, frowning, “Even with Liame. It would be unseemly.”

“Been there often, have you?” Liame asked, an amused look on his face.

“N-no… but I have heard…”

“Not quite a place you would be allowed to enter looking as scruffy as you usually do,” Eldrich told him shortly, “You stick to The Nest or is it The Hole you go to nowadays?”

Laes stared up sharply at that, but Eldrich simply smiled pleasantly at him. Laes wondered if Yarne had said anything to him.

Elian rose. “We will have the rest of our wine by the hearth and then there will be cake and crackers and some rum tea.” 

Hence after the simple dinner of soup and breads and cheese that felt far too light to Laes, they retired to the sitting room with their wine. Eldrich curled up on a lounge sofa in Liame’s arms, and the two men began leafing through a book of poetry in Latin. Laes stared at them dully. They looked a little tight from the wine. 

“Ah, let the men be,” Elian said cheerfully, “You and I will sit together there and talk.” She beckoned him to the chairs closer to the fireplace.

“Yes, let us be,” Eldrich said stifling a yawn, “I have looked forward to this evening with Liame and if you must join us Laes, at least have the grace to not interrupt us.”

Laes blushed, feeling mortified. This situation was so awkward! He knew Eldrich had other lovers, but he’d never seen them so up close. And this was Liame! And they looked so comfortable! He found he felt more than a little jealous seeing that sight, especially as Liame had loosened Eldrich’s robe and was stroking his chest and stomach. Laes took a generous gulp of the wine, ignoring the acrid sensation filling his throat. The wine was from Liame’s winery, strong but delicious and Laes had been having more than his usual quota so that he was soon quite lightheaded, even as he answered Elian’s queries on his work and his family. The wine was the only way he could deal with the odd situation he was in as well as talk about all these things that he found now barely mattered to him. He thought he may have been a little too dismissive and sarcastic about his siblings and perhaps sounded a little too bitter about his work but Elian was most encouraging and listened gladly. 

After a while, the kitchen staff sent in spiced cake and a tray of crackers with fernberry jam and fresh mountain butter and rum tea. The jam was delicious and Laes could feel the warmth and flavour of the berry infuse his mouth. He licked his lips hungrily.

“I wish one of you would take up Laes’ offer of a fuck,” Elian declared suddenly, “He loomked rather exotic on that machine, all sweating and pained. I should like to use him to model for the photographs in my book. I have brought the equipment. You need not be shy about it,” she cut off a rapidly protesting Laes, “I will not use your face unless you desire. I need largely your lower body, and besides Eldrich or Liame will be with you.”

“You want photographs of us fucking Laes?” Eldrich sounded almost horrified but fascinated too. Laes nearly spat out his cake as he stared at the prince in dismay. “But he’s not really very attractive!” Laes let out a sound of protest.

“His cock is small,” Eldrich told her, “A cockling, we call it, and his tits are ugly, and he is usually filthy and sweaty…”

Laes flushed a deeper red, and let out another sound of protest. The rum in the tea was beginning to give him a headache.

“D-don’t,” he pleaded softly.

“Show her,” Liame suggested, his voice slightly slurred, “She’ll know.” Eldrich let out a short bark-like laugh. “Indeed,” he told Laes.

***

It was probably the effect of the wine and the rum and perhaps even traces of fernberry root in the jam aided by Eldrich’s sarcastic goading and Liame’s unwillingness to be drawn into the argument, but Laes soon found himself naked in front of Elian, having removed his shirt and trousers to reveal his private parts to a woman he barely knew. He regretted his rash decision immediately, but Eldrich had swiped away his clothes. Elian circled him, touching him all over, her fingers running over the small welts left by the evening thrashing, and batting away his hands from his crotch.

“He is fine, his cock is small yes, but he is not unpleasant to look at. Besides, I could make Laes pretty if he so desires.” Elian said.

“But first I should like to bed him,” she announced then. Laes stared at the woman in disbelief, “It will serve as an interesting experiment on how male deviants respond to women. I shall use it in my book. Eldrich do you think I may use my phallus on his arse?”

Eldrich snorted again, “I do not own him. He may do as he pleases.” He turned to kiss Liame at that. Laes felt his throat catch slightly as he watched the man he loved being so intimate with a man he was most fond of. He wished they wouldn’t ignore him so.

“I – uh – I…,” Laes began hoarsely. Liame’s fingers were exploring Eldrich’s lower body now, and both men were hardly paying him any attention. He felt envious and left out.

Y-y-yes…” Laes mumbled, still staring at Liame and Eldrich.

Laes was quite addled, but aware enough to be able to feel Elian explore his body with her clever hands. She gave him a short and gentle massage first, to loosen out the tight muscles from his full day’s work. She spoke as she did so, asking him more about his work and his stint in the hangars. Laes answered but distractedly, his eyes constantly straying to the sofa nearby, where Eldrich and Liame continued to touch and kiss each other.

Elian’s hands turned him onto his stomach and then began to knead his buttocks. She stretched his cheeks apart and let out an impatient sound. Laes let out a soft cry as his sensitive and aching flesh was handled.

“You need to be gentle with him, Eldrich. I do not think I can use anything inside him for some days yet,” she scolded.

“He was fine two nights ago,” Eldrich snorted, “Ask him where he’s been after that.”

Laes bit his lip miserably. 

“He has been punished.”

“He’s an unruly lad, and his family is forced to punish him as they would a ninny.”

“Very well, laddie,” Elian sighed, swatting his buttocks lightly as Laes made to collect his clothes, “I will use your dear little cockling then.”

“You will let him fuck you?” Eldrich sounded almost horrified, “Surely not! I would never let him do that!”

“Why ever not? “ Liame sounded amused.

“I would not play the mare to a ninny like Laes,” Eldrich said hotely, clearly uncaring of the younger man who lay there listening.

“You have much to learn, laddie,” Liame still sounded amused.

“Certainly,” Elian tossed her pretty head and stretched again, “But I will not ‘let’ him do anything he pleases. He will do what I desire. Shall I show you how?” Laes remembered how it had been with Lady Mystery in Helye’s place and whimpered unhappily.

It was a surreal experience and not one without pain. Elian slipped off her haphazard attire to reveal her shapely form in entirety. She turned him onto his back pumped his semi-aroused cock to stiffness, laving it with copious amounts of fernberry root extract to keep it aroused and stiff. She then lowered herself onto it in one swift move, engulfing the throbbing flesh in her warm wetness . To Laes’ mortification, she kept telling the two men what she was doing, as she clenched her body around his cock and began to move, circling her hips as his shaft swelled up some more and his lower belly tightened. As she hastened her movement, Laes felt his engorged member being pulled around, tugged at its base, the grip tightening. It had felt delightful at first but now it just hurt and he was unable to keep from crying out. One hand roved his chest, tugging gently at his healing nipples, while the other reached around and pulled his balls roughly, so that the tears welled in his eyes. All the while, Elian kept talking, even as her fingers worked his nipples, mouth, balls and entrance.

“If you move this way,” she rocked back gently on the still erect shaft, “It will be pleasurable for both. But if you want your lad to learn a strong lesson…” she shifted moving rapidly tugging the hardened flesh around tightly. her soft buttocks rested on his upper thighs now, his cock still sheathed inside her. She moved forward, his cock jerking forward at the base.

"Hunnnn.... unnhhh..." Laes moaned miserably. The two men were watching him now, half fascinated, half shocked as Elian took complete control of his pliant body, 

“You need to ensure that you move just so,” Elian told Eldrich and then swiftly jerked his hips jolting Laes’ cock suddenly. 

He let out a howl as pain ran through his member. “Aaahhh…ahhh…” 

Elian came with soft, gasping breaths her wetness engulfing his cock. She slid out of him and then took care of his still hard cock with her long fingers. When they were done and he rose finally, grimacing from pain and utterly exhausted, he realised the other two men had slipped out some time earlier to the next door bedroom. He blushed as Eldrich's guttural entreaties echoed through the curtained chamber.

***


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude of sorts. Elian introduces Laes to a range of exotic experiences, and he lets her. Warnings for issues of consent, double penetration, femdom, feminisation, pegging, aphrodisiacs, public sex, public beating / punishment, ritual sex, public claiming

Laes was rushing to the hangars for his duty the next morning when he saw Elian heading there, accompanied by Eldrich. He blushed furiously when she smiled at him in greeting, as he remembered the previous night.

“Hello there, darling,” Elian said happily, “You were quite glorious last night. Eldrich, I will leave you and Liame be, if you will let me play with him.” Laes stared at her in shock, unsure if he wanted a repeat of last night. He really didn’t care much for women! “Oh don’t worry, sweetling, I don’t have designs on your virtue.”

“He has none!” Eldrich interrupted.

“I think you could help me with my photography,” Elian continued merrily, unheeding of the biting interruption, “Are you free in the evenings? Do you have duties? Or are you required at horrible formal dinners?”

And before Laes could realise it he’d committed himself to help. He didn’t have duties in the evening and no one would care if he were not to dine at home.

They reached the hangars and parted ways, Laes heading towards the small changing room to straighten his uniform before reporting for duty. He was alone there, having reached just in time. The others would have reported in already and he was in danger of earning a demerit, he thought as he quickly checked his uniform in the mirror. Someone entered just then and he looked up to greet his fellow straggler with some relief only to realise it was Eldrich.

“Had fun last night, I see,” the older man said without preamble, disdain clear on his face, “Did it feel good then, letting a woman have her way with you?”

Laes flushed and felt a bit of anger flare inside him. “Well, I did offer it to you first,” he said in rush, “I mean, I did offer, well I said you could… you didn’t want… and she… I… well…”

Eldrich simply smirked, raising one eyebrow in a supercilious, rather feudal manner that annoyed Laes more than a little.

“What if I say I want it now?” Eldrich smirked.

Laes flushed, “You must be joking,” he whispered hotly, suddenly aware that they were not in the privacy of Eldrich’s apartments or his flat.

“I’m not,” Eldrich said.

“W-we can’t,” Laes said desperately, “We could be seen.”

“There’s no one around,” Eldrich told him, “They’re at their morning parade which you were late for anyway, soo…” He reached for Laes’ trousers, tugging at the buttons and swiftly slipped his hand through.

Laes gasped as the fingers closed over his clothed member, but he was still terrified.

“We can’t” he pleaded, as Eldrich turned him around to lean over the wooden washstand. He whimpered, as his trousers were lowered and fingers slid between his buttocks.

“Sshh… of course we can. Don’t you want this?”

“I – I…” Laes started but stopped, gasping as Eldrich slid two fingers into him, shoving them in rapidly in one thrust.

“Unnnhhh,” Laes let out a soft cry. He was unprepared and it hurt!

“Sshh… you’re too loud,” Eldrich hissed.

“I-it hurts… aahhh…”

“Weakling,” Eldrich snorted and wound his scarf around Laes’ mouth.

“Mmpppff…”the younger man struggled. Eldrich grabbed his wrists, holding his hands against his lower back, and pushed into him rapidly, his thick shaft thrusting through Laes’ tight entrance, stretching him painfully.

Laes cried out through the cloth as pain spiked through his lower body. 

Eldrich continued thrusting, pulling out and pushing back in rapidly.

“S-slow down,” Laes moaned as the scarf slipped off. He let out a shuddering breath as Eldrich changed his angle, and brushed him at just the right place inside him. He felt his body respond, much to his shame, and ached to take his hardening member into his hands to provide some relief.

“Don’t have much time. Gods you’re so tight! I should fuck you like this more often, when you’re least ready for it.”

“Unnhh… unnhh…” he continued moaning as he was touched right there, again and again, the harshness of that touch lost in the sensations coursing through him.

Eldrich came soon, hot spurts of release filling Laes’ worn channel. Eldrich pulled out and then pushed something into Laes.

“Aahhh… wha—aht … unhhh…” It was thick and hard, the rough surface painful on his sensitive insides.

“Keep that inside you till you can have a bath,” Eldrich hissed. “Do you want someone to know what you’ve been up to here?”

Laes pulled away. His own penis stood erect still, and he was flushed with the combined ache of his arse and his untended erection. Eldrich stared at him with a look of near disgust replaced by a knowing smirk.

“So your protests were for naught aye? And here I wondered if I’d hurt you or something. You like it like this don’t you,” he hissed, “You like these sordid little encounters where it’s rough and the pain, don’t you.”

“N-no… I – I don’t… I,” Laes felt bewildered, both at the words and his own reactions. Suddenly exhausted, he simply slumped back against the wall, his hand snaking towards his groin.

Eldrich stared at him, bemused and then shrugged.

“Have a bath before you report in,” he suggested, as he left “And do come over in the evening. Elian can be quite painfully boring when she’s not obeyed.” 

Laes wiped himself down with his undervest, and then straightened his clothes, before rushing over to the showers. Warm showers were a luxury available only in the flying unit. When he was done, having pulled out the wooden peg, and washed himself, his arse still hurt like the blazes and he wished Eldrich had used at least a little oil. He sighed and turned off the running water, trying not to think of Eldrich’s disgust. 

When he finally stepped out for duty, late by half an hour, his face was still flushed, red and hot.

***

Anders was clearly annoyed with Laes for reporting late so it was no surprise when he snapped his fingers at him and beckoned him over. Laes knew he’d never have summoned another guardsman in such a fashion but he tamped down his unhappiness and went over.

“Take this to Lord Cavil,” Anders said and handed him an envelope, “Return with his response.” And then after a pause where he sneered at Laes, he said loudly and coldly, “Go on, hurry about it. I expect you to return with a quarter of an hour, else it’s extra hours for you.”

“B-but it – it takes five minutes to –“

“Then you’d better hurry, hadn’t you?” Anders smirked, “You’ve lost ten seconds already.”

Laes took the message and sped over to the palace. He had to run, of course, so that he reached Cavil’s office panting and sweating, his uniform muddied and his hair messy. His brother was with Terel, Tiaana and Sula.

“I have a message from Anders,” Laes panted out.

“Isn’t he Captain Anders to you?” Cavil snapped out, “Stand up straight and say that correctly! And really, your appearance, it’s disgusting!”

“I have brought a message from Captain Anders, Sir,” Laes said blushing bright red from embarrassment at being upbraided like this in front of the others, “H-he said you would have a reply, sir.”

“Yes. And you may meet the quartermaster for ten strikes for disrespect to a senior and ten for disrespect to your uniform.”

“How awful to see such indiscipline in the army,” Tiaana said loudly.

Terel snorted, “In my day the likes of him would have been thrown out within a month. I suppose we must pay the price for the times we live in.”

Laes flushed.

He was of course late in returning with the response so that ten more strikes were added to his punishment.

***

At palace duty that afternoon, he finally got some respite from a terrible day, when Cavil summoned him to take a message to Eldrich. He gladly left for the other man’s office.

Laes sat waiting outside Eldrich’s study, quietly flicking through an illustrated paper. Yarne had led him into the waiting room, looking at him as though he were some sort of insect, her eyes full of disdain at his mussed up appearance. She had not informed Eldrich of his arrival, telling Laes instead that he would have wait for Eldrich’s current appointment to leave. He ignored her nasty tone, secure in the knowledge that he was here on duty. 

The door to the study was partly ajar and as Laes waited he could hear the voices inside. Liame, he realised in pleasure. It didn’t sound like an official meeting and he wondered if he should interrupt. He moved to a chair closer to the door. Laes thought it did sound official, even hush hush, some talk about sensitive and suspicious matters. They were talking of some wrongdoing they were trying to prove, to do with someone they referred to as T14. It must be a code name he supposed.

“I am quite convinced, and I will present my case to Cavil and Verne shortly. And then we can unmask him and obtain the location. I just need a few more details,” Eldrich was saying.

“Eldrich,” Liame started but then stopped.

“You are the only one with whom I have shared my suspicions in such detail, Liame. This is too sensitive a matter.”

“But are you sure? He is a little unintelligent, I daresay and I wonder how probable it is, that he could think up such a daring plan.”

“Indeed, sometimes I think his brain resides in his cock, tiny as that is.” That was followed by a short bark and derisive laughter. “But at others I am not quite sure. However it is clear he works under instructions from elsewhere. I myself have seen him with outsiders.”

“I feel quite shocked,” Liame said, “At first I wondered if you were quite wrong. And then when I started thinking calmly, I realised I barely know him. So there could well be truth in what you suspect.”

“It shall not take too long. I must control my temper till then, though. I long to act, but the time is not right, so I hold back. I fear I am responding in other ways, not entirely right or true, but he is not undeserving, I think.”

“Nor unwilling!”

It was taking so long, Laes thought desperately. Cavil would notice if he were away from his post so long. He didn’t think the older man would listen to any excuses. 

And then the talk turned personal and uncomfortable as Eldrich let out a laugh and said, “You would know, you’ve fucked him too.”

“And a fine fuck he was, very willing to do as he was told, made me feel rather the midwinter festival stag if I may put it crudely. My other young men wouldn’t agree to do half those things, mind.”

“Your other young men have a spine. As do most respectable people!”

Laes thought he’d heard enough! He didn’t need to hear about Liame’s little escapades in love or the clearly disreputable behaviour of this person they were talking about. He slipped out of the waiting chamber in search of Yarne, looking to leave the message with her.

Eldrich came out as Laes was walking back up the passageway, having failed to find Yarne. He looked surprised and a little put out to see Laes there, and was only a little mollified to learn he was there on official work.

“You mustn’t just loaf around like this, if you have work here. You should have found Yarne and asked her to show you in,” he said, impatiently, “There’s no reply anyway. Now, off you go.”

Laes didn’t even try to tell him he’d tried. The prince looked far too annoyed to listen, so he just left. He didn’t wonder until much later that day, and that very briefly, who it was that Eldrich and Liame could have been talking about. Clearly both had slept with this man and thought little of him. Poor creature, he mused. He’d hate to be in the bad books of either man, forget both.

***

Over the next few days, Laes was summoned to Eldrich’s house every evening; Elian wanted to spend time with him.

To Laes, Elian’s visit would remain indelibly imprinted as a collage of odd events, many of them mortifying to think of later, startlingly clear in his memory. While Liame and Eldrich remained largely busy at work, Laes found himself increasingly spending time with Elian.

Within a day, with plenty of wine and good food and her clever fingers easing the knots on his aching back and shoulders, after his thirty strokes for indiscipline, she had managed to coax out of Laes the range of sexual experiences he had had. He was shocked later to realise that he’d actually ended up telling her of all that he’d experienced in school, at soldier’s training, in the Nest, with Eldrich and even in the mountain posting. She had laughed and clapped delightedly when he’d confessed he’d had two men in him together and blushingly stammered out that they were smaller than Eldrich and Liame. She’d even coaxed out his more humiliating encounters though he’d managed to do so without letting out any names. She’d stroked him gently as he’d talked of times when he’d been unwilling, but forced into submitting, even by women. He’d shuddered as he told her of being labelled a whore and treated like one, or ridiculed for his size or how he was often disciple at work or punished at home for what seemed smaller offences. He’d not told her of Helye though, for which he was thankful. That was too shameful to relate.

Elian listened patiently and soothed him with soft touches and kisses unlike any he’d experienced. Half-drunk from wine and unused to such kindness and delicacy from others, he found himself warming up to her.

He was more than a little shocked and terribly embarrassed when Elian said she wanted to photograph him in the nude, and that she felt that would help him overcome his unmanly shyness about his body.

He acceded after a lot of coaxing, feeling unbearably shy and more than a little afraid even though she said she wouldn’t capture his face. She had assistants to help her, two impassive young women and a man, who obeyed her instructions completely. At times, Eldrich and Liame would watch the sessions as well. For the first few she had him lie naked, on his stomach for some and on his back for others, his legs spread at an angle. Those were particularly embarrassing as she wouldn’t let him cover himself and in his mortification, he remained limp. She would have him touch himself or if that didn’t work, she would get one of the assistants to do it, in a clinical and detached manner. Laes wished she’d get Eldrich to rouse him instead but his secret lover usually sat back looking bored or spent his time talking to Liame or examining the equipment and then would wander out.

After the first day they examined the photographs and Elian clicked in disappointment. Eldrich who had stopped by looked unimpressed too. Liame stared at the photographs curiously. There were visuals of his chest, pale and sweat-streaked, his large nipples standing out incongruously. The light fell on the tufts of short curling hair, giving them a rougher edge. In another his lower body was visible from a strange angle that made his belly look and spread legs look longer and thinner. His penis lay limp, barely visible under the thatch of black hair between his legs.

“You need to be prettified,” she said, staring at Laes’ half naked frame critically. He wore only his underpants. She frowned at the sight of his chest and stomach, and ran her fingers through the scattered tufts of hair. “I thought I’d have you as you are, rough and countrified, but your build is too slender.”

She had her assistants help him get ready the next evening after his duties were over. He was bathed in warm rose-scented water and washed first with carbolic soap and then with a honey and lavender scrub. They then proceeded to his utter mortification, to remove the hair off his body, leaving his head and eyebrows. They used wax in some parts, applying the sticky substance and ripping it off with strips of cloth. Laes nearly screamed each time, thrashing miserably as he was held down firmly. In some parts they shaved him, to remove the smaller bits. Laes lay stiff and terrified as the shaving knife scraped him down in his private parts, even his cock and right to his entrance. Then they soaped him down with an orange and ginger scented oatmeal scrub. It felt coarse and rough and sent tingles running through his already sensitised skin. Finally they massaged him with a light cream, letting the substance seep into his soft, smooth skin. It would slow down the hair growth so that he would remain like this for a few days yet.  
Laes stared at himself in the mirror when they were done. He looked so odd, thinner, perhaps younger, but certainly strange. On his hairless chest, his dark nipples looked even larger and his ribs protruded awkwardly. He touched his smooth lower body and held his cock in his hands wondering if it seemed to look larger.

The next set of photographs clearly met Elian’s approval. She had him lie on satin sheets that felt odd against his sensitised skin so that he was naturally aroused. The bath and the steady doses of wine and fruit and cheese left him sleepy and languorous so that his limbs were sprawled loosely as she wanted. Laes saw the photographs and had to admit the angles and planes were better now and far more sensuous than before. Eldrich and Liame had openly laughed at his new look but were impressed by the pictures.

For the next set, Elian gave him a mask for his face and clothes to wear. There were odd combinations of women’s and men’s clothing. Elian called it artistic licence – a top hat, a silk mask for his face, a lavender satin corset with knee high black leather boots, and the rest of him completely bare in one, for another - a dark blue velvet jacket & a black bow tie, arranged to bare his chest, his nipples rouged pink, and underneath short pale pink underpants in silken lace, and heeled glass slippers on his feet, for a third.

***

One evening, Eldrich and Liame joined and goaded by Elian, and encouraged by a completely addled Laes, fucked him together. 

“I’ve never done that before,” Eldrich had mused, with a needy glint in his eyes that left Laes shivering with desire.

“I have,” Liame declared, “But can Laes manage.”

“He’s done it before,” Eldrich declared, with a forced laugh, his tone a little bitter, “Haven’t you, dear? Whored himself around quite a bit, this boy. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t.”

Laes was eager at first, despite Eldrich’s cutting words. At Elian’s insistence, he used copious amounts of oil to prepare himself, and sighed with pleasure as he lowered himself onto Eldrich in a swift smooth motion. Then Liame positioned himself behind Laes, and entered his passage swiftly. It should have felt wonderful, Laes though gasping through the pain. They were both large men, and despite the oil, it hurt terribly as they filled him, stretching his passage. His own erection flagged. The two men had their hands around his waist and hips, gripping him hard as they thrust, both lost in the sensations brought about by his tightness around their cocks. One of them or perhaps both, he wasn’t sure reached him deep inside, hitting his special place, so that he wasn’t sure if it was pain he felt or pleasure. His cock responded, thickening again, his balls tightening as his body clamped down around the twin intrusions.

Around him, Liame and Eldrich nudged his upper body out of the way and began kissing each other as they rocked within him. Liame moved his hands off Laes’ waist and ran them over Eldrich’s naked body, so that the other man began thrusting harder into Laes, his finger digging deep into the younger man’s hips. Laes ached for a gentle touch or kisses, but the two men seemed to sire only each other, as they rubbed against each other deep inside him.

They spurted inside him, their hot juices trickling heat over his stretched insides. He howled, partly ecstatic, partly aching, his hands swiftly working on his swollen member. When they pulled out, he lay back, panting from the exertion, and now that his arse was so empty, and his cock flaccid, hurting like blazes. The two older men moved away from him, lost in themselves, kissing and touching.

Elian was delightedly clapping. Laes had been too lost in a haze of alcohol and desire to realise she had been there all the while taking photographs. He’d been terrific, she told him happily, and she had much work to do, so would he see himself out?

Laes rolled over, onto his stomach, breathing heavily, completely exhausted. He woke perhaps a half hour later, aching terribly now, his lower body caked with dried semen, his head heavy. He dressed slowly and somehow made his way home and to his room, just grateful that he had no duties the next morning. 

***

With Elian, Laes felt excited by all the new things she tried but also deeply terrified. She gave him a concoction of various berries to soothe his nerves and Laes found his inhibitions lessening and his confidence increasing as Elian came up with increasingly daring plans over the new few days.  
Laes submitted to everything with a strange sense of wonder at this thrillingly wicked world she was exposing him to. 

One evening, they even went to the taverns in the lower city together, which were frequented by the younger nobility looking for a brush with the seamier side of the city, she as the man and he as the woman. Elian could pass of for a younger highborn man and Laes, she said, would be ‘his’ little cheap dalliance for the evening. He’d been drunk when he agreed and by the time he was even partly sober, after a quick meal at the second tavern it was too late to do anything, but to get drunk again and go with whatever madcap plan Elian had.

She wore trousers with a large thick phallus strapped underneath, and shiny calf height boots, a gleaming white shirt and showy cravat to disguise her chest, and a long coat. She had him dressed in a red satin dress, with a voluminous skirt that nevertheless was slit at the right leg, nearly all the way to his hip, with a black lace petticoat slit similarly underneath. The dress was full of red and black frills and lace, with a low v neck that exposed his chest, and the frilled edge of the corset underneath. The top had been cleverly padded so that he looked like a small-breasted woman. His stockings were black, of cheap silk. She’d given him a wig, with dirty coppery ringlets, and his face had been over-made up, the eyes shaded a smoky blue and the lips a bright red, the cheeks too pink, and his exposed chest, caked with rouge and powder too. 

They spent the rest of the evening drinking in the various unsavoury taverns, Laes perched on Elian’s lap, his slender build of little consequence to her. As they moved to progressively seedier taverns the talk turned rougher and more vulgar, the laughter more boisterous and mocking and the atmosphere more provocative as the serving girls’ clothes became more revealing, and Laes became increasingly subjected to pawing, probing, pinching hands, until finally, in their last tavern for the night which seemed more a brothel, Elian was forced to declare ‘her’ arse sweeter than ‘her’ cunt and stake her claim on him over an empty table in a darkened corner, pushing her phallus into him to an audience of cheering, drunken men and women.

She’d pushed him over the low table and lifting his skirts pushed into him. Laes had let out a pained groan. He was unprepared and the phallus was thick.

“I’m so glad we shaved your legs! I have to do this,” she hissed into his ear, “If we are caught…”

“I’ll be thrown out of the army,” Laes acceded, sobbing, letting her pound painfully into him, while the cheers surrounding them went up. Soon, thankfully, others in the tavern got frisky as well, so that the two were left to themselves and could leave hurriedly. Laes had been terrified someone else would want a turn with him! 

***

On another occasion, she had him accompany her to The Peacock. He had known little about the place other than of its vulgar reputation, and unsurprisingly they went there masked as most of the other patrons did, unwilling to be recognised. 

She introduced him to Kerne, the proprietor, as her newest model, and asked for a turn at the Blue Room, which was supposed to be a most famous room there. They were to be joined by Eldrich and Liame soon, she’d said assuredly, and in turn Laes had promised to do anything the three wanted in the Blue Room. 

Kerne said he would help prepare him and led them to a small side room. Laes undressed and pulled on a thin shift that was handed over to him. Elian bound his cock and balls with his own belt, shushing his protests gently and sweetly. He’d obeyed her directions and let her lead him into the room they were to use. It had a wooden floor that echoed as they walked over it. Dulled noise filtered through the thick blue curtains that hung down each wall. The lights above and around were all shaded with glasses in different shades of blue, filling the room with a strange, mystical light. He was laid on a hard wooden bench on his back, his buttocks just hanging off. At her command, he’d folded his legs to his chest and spread them apart, exposing his privates to her gaze. He’d blushed, still shy of his body, especially after he’d been shaved down there. And the position felt uncomfortably similar to the one used for his degrading punishments at home.

Kerne moved a thick set of curtains and Laes realised to his horror, that what he’d thought were sounds from the tavern were all around him. He was on a stage with an audience around him, some thirty or so masked faces watching his half- naked frame eagerly. There were mirrors on the stage in front focussed on his arse, his glistening puckered entrance, his hairless crotch, bound cock and balls pulled away, the shift ridden up to his waist. From the look on Elian’s face, she had not expected this either, and she stared open mouthed.

“Oh!” she said, faintly.

In utter shock, he tumbled off the bench, covering himself, and stumbled in search of an exit, the shouts and laughter from the viewers echoing in his ears. He was so glad he as masked and unrecognisable, he thought as he noticed the curtains at one end and raced towards them, to boos and hisses of indignation.

At the curtains, he curled up, shocked and terrified as the sounds outside reached a crescendo. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You really are a piece of work,” Eldrich said, recognisable to Laes, despite his mask, “I’ve never seen such an enthusiastic audience here earlier, not even for the act where they had twin brothers fucking twin sisters.” 

Laes stared at him numbly. 

“Lad,” Kerne stood there looking impatient, “Get back there! And you, Sir, I suppose you’re the other party? I was told we would have deviants today.”

“Yes, this little lad needs a lesson. I’ll take care of it dear, shall I?” he asked Elian, who nodded dumbly, “Come on lad, back you go.”

“B-but there are people watching!” Laes protested.

“Yes!” Elian said, “Surely you couldn’t…”

“There are always people watching in the Blue Room,” Eldrich said, "Didn’t you know before you asked for it, you silly young people?”

Laes shook his head miserably. He’d known nothing! And clearly neither had Elian. But she was over her initial shock now and actually looked excited.

“They can watch me fuck you up the arse,” Eldrich said calmly, as he pulled on a mask, “Later I might do other things as well, as they ask. I hope you’re not going to get all whiny and pretend to be tired?”

Laes moaned miserably, still protesting as Eldrich pulled him back to his feet.

“You promised,” Elian said, suddenly, “Anything we’d want.”

“N-not like this... pl-please...”

“Shut up,” Eldrich hissed, “Elian, you join Liame in the audience. I’ll handle this little idiot.”

Laes whimpered as Eldrich literally dragged him back on stage. He was realising increasingly, how much larger the other man felt when he used his strength on Laes like this. As the audience yelled in delight, Eldrich literally ripped his shift off. He tugged at it from the back and the thin fabric tore easily, the sound of fabric renting echoing through the large hall. The soft cloth pooled at his feet, and he stood naked in front of everyone, with nothing to cover him but the mask.

Anders was right, he thought desperately to himself as Eldrich draped him over the bench again. He was nothing more than a whore. He was draped on his back, and his hands tied to the legs of the bench. A nervous cheer went up around the audience as Kerne entered to announce the next act, followed by a puzzled silence as he declared it would be a deviant performance. They had a young man of the most ‘deviant tendency’ who needed to be taught a lesson. 

If anyone felt uncomfortable they could leave now, Kerne continued. Laes saw some people leave but most stayed back and then, with a smattering of claps and a lot of amused and nervous laughter, they began.

Laes never knew why he didn’t protest more or fight back as he was forced to ‘perform’ that way, his limbs shaking with fear and mortification and shame and all sorts of emotions that he couldn’t even name. But he did, as always acceding to anything Eldrich wanted.

Eldrich was rougher than usual, entering him quickly and thrusting into him almost showily. He kept shouting as well, calling Laes a whore, a harlot, a slut and many words that Laes hardly knew. His words encouraged the uncomfortably quiet viewers to respond, some of them echoing the words. Laughter and catcalls resounded again. His arms ached as his body arced to meet the rapid thrusts. Eldrich’s hands dug into his hip and waist. His hands moved up, slipping under to his chest, and began pinching his nipples. He bent his head down and bit into the reddened nubs causing Laes to cry out. A cheer went up around them at that.

As he came closer to release, his movements sped, and then he hit Laes at the right spot, filling Laes him with his release. When he was done he pulled out, and pulled on a cloak before bowing to the watching audience. Laes lay there panting softly, arse and nipples aching awfully, and no sensation in his cock and balls. Kerne entered, swiped the globs of semen off his inner thighs and spread it over his chest and face.

And then he released the bindings. Laes had barely sighed in relief when the blood began rushing back to his cock and balls. The sensation was painful and exquisite, and then Eldrich’s rough hands were on his sensitive flesh. Laes screamed as he came. Through a hazy curtain in front of his eyes, he could see his juices spurting out, until finally he fell over exhausted in a pool of his own release, sweating and trembling.

Dimly he was aware of the noises around him. They were jeering at him, the whore, as Kern declared, and cheering for the brave young lad who’d had his wanton arse. Should he be taught another lesson, perhaps?

“Punish him,” someone shouted. “Ravage his arse again…” “Make him scream…” “Fuck his mouth…” “Thrash him…” “Needs to be horsewhipped… disgusting filth…”

“A thrashing would be ideal,” Kerne declared.

They draped him on the bench on his stomach, and Eldrich struck him on his aching backside with a riding crop ten times in quick succession so rapidly that Laes’ screams had barely died out. He hit him again, with a cane this time, ten strikes again, swifter and harder on the same spot. Laes’ cries died out to hoarse sound, his throat aching now along with the rest of him. He felt Eldrich spreading his arse cheeks apart, exposing his entrance. Laes was past caring. He was exhausted and could barely think. He just wanted to collapse on a heap on the floor. But then, the next set of three strikes landed slowly and carefully on that most sensitive and painful area between his buttocks and he found himself screaming again, as the pain flared through his entire body. And then he did collapse, sliding off the bench in an ungraceful heap, at Eldrich’s feet.

As the audience cheered, Kerne declared it ‘just punishment’ for a ‘horrid little deviant’.

“You needn’t have hit him so much,” Elian protested later that evening as she spread some unguent over Laes’ aching buttocks, while he lay on his stomach at Eldrich’s hearth, moaning in pain.

“He shouldn’t have agreed to join you there, or in the Blue Room,” Eldrich retorted, “And he gets whacked on his arse often enough, wouldn’t have been the first time, would it, my little deviant?”

“Shouldn’t be in places like The Peacock, either!” Liame added in, “Hardly the place to take a lady is it?”

“I asked him to take me there!” Elian retorted, “And I did leave a message for the two of you!”

“Which we thankfully received in time! Madcap that you are you might actually have fucked him in public, dear!” Liame said.

“It might be exciting,” Elian mused, “What do you say, Laes?”

He whimpered miserably in response.

Some days later, Laes learnt, to his horror, that the masked audience had included Tiaana and Eon on a little escapade, and perhaps even Cavil, Sula, Verne and Mylla might have been present. He’d never felt more thankful for the mask.

***

Elian hadn’t run out of ideas yet though. During midwinter, when most of the town was away on holiday including all of Laes’ family who had gone to various warmer places, she invited him to participate in a forest midwinter festival as celebrated in the traditional parts of Parva and the other older woodland countries. Laes knew little of it, other than that a detailed description with illustration had been available in one of the advanced Latin texts which was a source of great merriment in school, due to its heavily erotic nature.

The woodland midwinter festivities of old were largely a series of fertility rituals. The forest kingdoms were vast and spread out with long and harsh winters, where people stayed indoors. From what Laes understood the rituals were designed to increase procreation in those seasons.

Laes agreed to join the party for want of anything better to do. 

“It’s a fertility festival, Laes, so don’t turn your prude little nose up, will you? Besides you needn’t worry, everyone will be masked or painted adequately to disguise their features,” Eldrich said carelessly as they set off for the estate where it was being held, “There’s a designated doe for the evening, selected through a game, and everyone else gets to be stag and fuck him or her all evening and night, till the sun rises.”

“It will be debauched,” Liame said drily, “And hugely enjoyable.”

“Oh! Stop bothering him,” Elian said excited, “It’s all exciting and fun, Lissie.” She’d picked up the nickname after hearing Anders use it. Laes had tried to get her to stop but hadn’t succeeded, “And there’s loads to drink.”

The estate was on the leeward side of the hills near Varanya, where the snow had been less heavy. The party was to be in a hunting lodge located inside a small woodland area. They reached just before sunset and Laes could see the woods were small and not too dense. The scent of pine and oak hung heavy in the air. 

Inside, the hunting lodge consisted of a large room with a huge fireplace. It was decorated for the festivities with pine cones and acorns and holly leaves strung in garlands. There were jugs filled with a clear, light liquid that they were told to help themselves to. It was warm and mildly sweet and Laes found he liked it a great deal. As he quaffed back his glass, he noticed the aftertaste of fernberry extract. He wondered if he should have more, he always seemed to react rather strongly to it!

“Have more,” Elian whispered, suddenly, “It’s the midwinter festival drink.”

There were about a dozen more guests, some known to Eldrich, some to Elian or Liame, some to all three, all masked. Laes thought he recognised a few, one seemed much like Lady Muriel, another like young Lord Tarquin from Essoia. The very air was charged with excitement and Laes found himself hugely intrigued by what lay ahead. After drinks and a light meal of cheese and fruit, they gathered in the garden behind the hunting lodge, in a small colonnaded enclosure lit up with lanterns, the soft golden glow casting warm shadows in the evening light. It was on a long rectangular platform made of greyish-white stone and open to the skies. The tall columns lining the entire perimeter were covered with thick vines of various types some dried in the winter, some still leafing profusely, and a few even flowering, their heavy blossoms redolent with a sweet fragrance. Huge pots were filled with trailing winter orchids filling the air with a heady scent and on every surface there were small bowls filled with oddly shaped fruits and berries.

“How lovely,” Laes said fingering the soft orchid blossom. Eldrich smiled suddenly and plucking one of the orchids, tucked it into Laes’ lapel. The younger man blushed, moved by the tender gesture. Around them, the sounds and smells of the woodland filtered through, roosting birds, small animals, the scent of pinewood. It was all very enchanting to Laes.

Inside the enclosure was a long table with more wine, some benches, and to Laes’ shock, a set of erotic sculptures depicting men and women pleasuring each other in various ways, and even one of two men fucking. At the far end was a large wooden figurine, carved in intricate detail, a naked young male wearing nothing more than a stag like headdress and an open cloak made of autumn vines. His legs were slightly apart and between them his member stood straight. Laes blushed as his eyes were drawn there. It was extremely detailed, with the skin pulled smooth in places and folds carved in others, ribbed veins standing out, and the bulbous tip, almost shining smooth.

A loud clap sounded out, as one of the guests, moved away towards the stag figure. He wore, over his clothes, a rich green cloak, embroidered with a pattern of autumn vines, and over his head, a stag headdress, that covered most of his face, and called them all to order.

It was the master of the ceremony. They were to take an oath they would follow the rituals designated.

“If you must back out, back out now,” he announced and it seemed to Laes, he gave him a mocking, challenging look. He straightened his back and returned the gaze levelly, hoping he looked confident.

They took the oath and followed it up with toasts to the country and king, and then to all the score or more woodland deities that the folk in the old kingdoms had revered. Finally they toasted the Stag Lord. Laes noticed at the back of his mind that the Master had merely guided the toasts, not drinking them. 

There followed small games – locating a particular flower in the bowls, searching the room for a blackberry, locating a painting of a ship in the hunting lodge, some forms of children’s games, all of which were very merry and enjoyable, particularly as the wine began to flow more copiously.

Soon they were all well and truly drunk and at least partly aroused. It was soon time to play the main game called ‘the hunt’, which would determine who became the centre of the festivities. In some of the woodland regions it was traditionally the catamite of the lord of the area, and Laes almost gasped when Elian drunkenly shrieked it should be him. No one paid attention though and they began the game. To escape being a doe, one would need to find any one of several antler headdresses carved of wood, placed in various nooks in the forest, before the Master found them. The Master would give them ten minutes before entering the hunt.

Laes remembered little of it, thoroughly drunk as he was. He stumbled out with the others, running around searching, the forest lit up beautifully in the light of a near full moon, but he found nothing. He felt quite tired and terribly addled and found himself yawning as he sank back against a soft mossy bank behind a huge oak. He would rest there awhile before setting out to search for a set of antlers, he decided. Around him there were noises of running and much squealing and laughter.

As it turned out, the master of ceremonies found him there, the massive headdress suddenly towering over him, giving him quite a scare, and suddenly he was the designated doe.

It was Eldrich, Laes realised suddenly, Eldrich was the master.

“Not going to back out, are you?” Eldrich said, his voice soft but hard as flint.

Laes shook his head numbly. Eldrich’s reached for his crotch, palming his half hardening member, as he loosened his trousers. 

“You could be more enthusiastic,” he said critically. He plucked the orchid off Laes’ lapel. The younger man realised then that the strong fragrance had trailed him into the forest, wondering if it had led Eldrich to him. Eldrich brushed the petals over his lips. The strength of the fragrance so close to his nose was enough to send him reeling back.

Eldrich crushed the flower in his hands and slipped it into his underpants rubbing the crushed petals against his bare groin, over the soft hairless folds of skin, stroking his hardening shaft and balls, reaching towards his entrance. Laes gasped as first a warmth coursed through him, followed by waves of another sensation that he couldn’t explain.

“The Velia orchid. It’s stronger than fernberry extracts and lasts longer as well, perhaps all night.”

“Unnnhhh….” He moaned when Eldrich’s hands moved away, and found himself thrusting forward in search of any kind of touch. His trousers were closed again and he moaned as cloth brushed his suddenly over-sensitised crotch.

“That’s more like it,” Eldrich said with a short laugh. He gathered Laes into his arms and let out a piercing whistle to signal the end of the game. 

Laes was achingly hard and desperate to be fucked thoroughly by the time he was carried into the ritual area, a large stone paltform in front of the statue of the stag lord. 

“You may claim the doe now,” Eldrich announced, and the revellers surrounded him, the antlers bobbing up and down. For the briefest moment, he felt fear as their hands reached for his clothes, but his body responded with eager need. Hands stripped off his clothes and he helped, wanting to free his charged body. As his underpants were lowered, his cock sprang free, hard and erect and wet. He whimpered happily as fingers brushed it lightly. And then moaned as the hands moved away, leaving him untouched.

The enclosure was even more enchanting now in the moonlight but he barely noticed that. There were amused whispers as his hairless frame was revealed but he heard nothing, hands roved the smooth skin around his groin, some marveling, some shocked. It was a cold evening but he felt nothing. Velia and fernberry essences dripped everywhere, spreading their arousing qualities, in their raw form, in the candles used in the lanterns, and even the oils that were now spread on and inside Laes by the other particpants, so that he was almost screaming with need before the claiming ritual began.

They all made love to him in turn, beginning with some pre-decided order, each one of them in their masks, and their wooden antler headdresses, many of them gently and lovingly, some a little harshly. When they were done, they would go find another partner so that the open-air enclosure was full of men and women coupling with each other on the floor. Most of them sought him out twice or thrice. The women had his cock as well as his arse with thick phalluses. More than few sought his mouth and he offered it willingly and eagerly using his tongue and working his throat. As he swallowed, strong fernberry essences seemed to fill his mouth. 

He noticed distractedly though that Eldrich, the Master of ceremonies took no part, seating himself instead on a high-backed wooden chair with a glass of wine instead and just watching. It made him want to show Eldrich what he could do… he would be the most perfect doe, willing to do all that was sought of him.

He writhed eagerly on the hard surface, welcoming everything they wanted to do to him, lust-filled cries dripping out of his mouth at every touch. As the night progressed, there were more eagers takers for the claiming, and he found himself with two at times three claimants, his arse, mouth and cock being well and truly used. He thought he might have had two men up his arse on one occasion, or even a woman and man on another, someone’s antlers on another. All of it felt thrilling as the overly strong aphrodisiacs coursed through his body, filling him with unspeakable yearnings. Every thrust, every touch of flesh against his own fiery skin, had him sighing and whimpering delightedly. 

At another point in the ritual, the statue of the stag lord was laid back and Laes mounted it and impaled himself on the thick wooden cock, and rocked back and forth in pretence of a real bedding, stroking his own erect member lustily, as the others cheered him on. He was finally pulled off by the Master. His arse felt raw and painful but he was still so hard, he threw himself on the Master, begging him to take him. He was handed over to another reveller instead, and then another and they continued the ritual, taking turns with him again.

It lasted for some hours, perhaps, till the faint fingers of dawn crept into the sky. Laes had nearly collapsed on the platform, exhausted, almost asleep, but his desires only partly sated. When he came to awareness, it was still not light outside. He felt soft hands on his bare skin, stroking his half-hard crotch gently, the dull ache down there replaced by a gentle warmth. Heat pooled in his groin and he knew even in his half-sleeping state that he was hard. He heard soft voices over his head, some amused, some concerned. And then a gentle sigh. His aching head was lifted gently and placed on a soft surface. He lay on silken sheets he thought. Fingers rested on his groin and he nearly cried as they wrapped around his shaft, almost blacking out as desire coursed through him again. He lay back, sighing pleasurably. He felt so comfortable. He didn’t want to move. His body felt completely relaxed. All except down in his groin, which was hard and aching, and his hands which were being lifted and bound above his head.

“Unnhh,” He squirmed, tugging at the silk restraints. The cloth was so soft it didn’t hurt but it felt restrictive. The hand on his groin pressed down gently and he stilled.

He spread his legs on his own, lifting his lower body off. His body arced as he imagined Eldrich’s cock entering him, for he knew it was to the Master, the Stag Lord for the evening that he was to be given last in the ritual.

He moaned.

“What do you want? Tell me…” Eldrich whispered in his ears, his cloak draping Laes’ bare skin, the headdress still intact.

“Y-you… my lord…” he moaned, “F-fuck me my lord, take me… unnhhh…”

He felt hands on his thighs, parting his legs. Warm, wet fingers slid into his entrance, stretching him almost lovingly. At any other time Laes would have ached for such care but intoxicated with the cocktail of aphrodisiacs all he ached for was to be fucked so thoroughly and completely that he would feel nothing else. Laes found himself clenching his body around the fingers.

“Aaaahhh…,” he moaned throatily, “Ye-esss… haaa…aaahhh….”

“He wants it,” a laughing voice said, and others responded with equally amused acknowledgement, cheering their Stag Lord on to claim his willing doe.

Laes did want it, he thought dreamily. He shifted as the fingers withdrew, replaced by Eldrich’s cock, raising his body to meet the thrusts eagerly, all thoughts of anything else lost from his mind. There in the open enclosure, surrounded by men and women in various stages of undress, with the light of the waning moon and the dawn sun filtering through the vines, Eldrich deep inside him, reaching that one special place right inside him, he felt he had everything he needed.


End file.
